A Message from the Dean

Academic year 2006-07 marks the completion of the first decade of the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies. This is an important milestone for us. Beginning as a new, relatively small, academic formation with great visions of its potential, we have experienced the kind of growth and development which identify this College-its faculty, staff and students- as vital parts of the academic mission of Sacramento State.

I invite you to read our mission statement. It clearly and succinctly identifies our commitment to providing our students with the highest quality education possible in the social sciences. To this end, the College is committed to insuring that our diverse students are challenged by intellectual experiences which are purposely intended to encourage them to critically analyze, think about and make informed decisions regarding important issues, problems, and policy positions shaping public discourse in both domestic and international arenas. We are dedicated to insuring that students graduating from programs in SSIS have skills enabling them to write clearly and convincingly and speak persuasively. Further, we want our students to become aware of the pressing issues shaping human societies and how the social sciences can help address and resolve some of the problematic issues. We want students preparing to become teachers to be well grounded in the theories and practices of their liberal studies and social science disciplines.

We strive to prepare our undergraduate students to take their place as leaders in California or wherever they choose to live. We encourage them to accept the responsibility for providing service to their local community, this state and the nation. We believe that their degree in one of the social sciences well prepares them for this and for meaningful public and private sector employment. We know that most students will not pursue graduate studies. However, graduates choosing to pursue further learning will find opportunities for excellent graduate study in SSIS programs.

We are able to meet the demands of our mission because we have a distinguished and dedicated faculty. SSIS faculty consistently demonstrate their commitment to being excellent teachers and productive scholars. They make themselves available to students for advising and mentoring; they provide students research experience-including working along with faculty on research projects. Further, in many courses, faculty include service learning requirements in their courses. These and the internships available in SSIS programs have resulted in offers of employment to many SSIS students.

SSIS also has several research institutes and centers. Their work assists the College mission by providing additional learning opportunities for students. Additionally, faculty research and scholarship within centers and institutes help to generate funding support for on-going and new research and instructional activities.

We are challenged by our steadfast commitment to program excellence. This means being open to suggestions for improving what we do. I invite your ideas as to how the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies can better carry out its mission.