I’m Jennifer Keene, the dean of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the heart and soul of Chapman University.

When I made that simple statement introducing myself for the first time at a faculty retreat, the room erupted into spontaneous applause. It took me by surprise, but upon reflection I realized that the response was so strong because the phrase perfectly encapsulates the role of our college.

Why is Wilkinson College the heart and soul of Chapman? There are three ways to answer this question. First, our disciplines represent the historic core of the university. Second, our college contributes heavily to the General Education curriculum, impacting nearly every student at Chapman. We are truly where the university comes together as a community.

Last, but certainly not least, we call ourselves the heart and soul of Chapman University because the arts, humanities, and social sciences are the disciplines that explore the essence of what it means to be human. These are the disciplines that help us understand who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. We are built for the unknown, to be gamechangers, to think outside the box. Driven by intellectual curiosity, creativity, and the desire to innovate, our students graduate with the ability to ask tough questions, to challenge old answers, and to envision the previously unimaginable.

We have crafted interdisciplinary pathways to deepen the relevance of arts, humanities, and social sciences to other fields of study outside of Wilkinson. For example, our Health Humanities minor was designed to meet the interests of students in psychology, biology, and health sciences. The Cultural and Creative Industries minor attracts business and film students. Students, regardless of major, who are contemplating law school flock to our Law and the Liberal Arts minor. We have also invested heavily in the Environmental Science and Policy major, a joint program with Schmid College of Science and Technology. These “bridge building” initiatives are just a few of the concrete ways we are innovating to ensure that the arts, humanities, and social sciences remain relevant in the 21st century.

The arts, humanities, and social sciences give expression to our shared humanity, help us find solutions to new problems, and enrich our culture with fresh ways of seeing, thinking, and creating. This in a nutshell is why Wilkinson College is the heart and soul of Chapman University.

 

About Dean Keene:

Jennifer D. Keene, Ph.D. is a professor of history and dean of the Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Chapman University. Dr. Keene received her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, after completing her B.A. and M.A. at George Washington University. She is a specialist in war and society studies, and has written extensively on World War I. She served as an historical advisor to the World War I Centennial Commission, and as an historical consultant for numerous exhibits and films, including the PBS documentary mini-series, The Great War. Her books include Doughboys, the Great War and the Remaking of America (2001), World War I: The American Soldier Experience (2011), and The United States and the First World War, 2nd ed. (2022). She is also a general editor for the “1914-1918-online,” peer-reviewed online encyclopedia, http://www.1914-1918-online.net/, a major digital humanities project. A past-president of the Society for Military History, Dr. Keene recently received the Edward Simmons Award for long and distinguished service to the society.