Appointment of Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Julia Johnson has accepted the position of dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS) at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), effective July 1, 2017.

Since 1997, Dr. Johnson has held positions in academe that include dean, associate dean, school director, department chair and faculty member. She is currently dean of the College of Liberal Studies at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse (UWL). The breadth and depth of her relevant experiences in areas such as diversity and inclusion, strategic visioning, organizational enhancement, enrollment management, program development, faculty development, community engagement and developing new resources have prepared her well to serve as dean of CHABSS. She has a strong record of working collaboratively with faculty and staff, and this experience will enable her to facilitate the college’s progression to new levels of excellence. Dr. Johnson values the importance of a liberal arts education because it provides students with a broad foundation of knowledge that prepares them to be successful both professionally and personally, and enables them to thrive in a global society and economy.

Dr. Johnson earned her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in Communication Studies, an M.A. from CSU Northridge in Speech Communication, and a B.A. from CSU Long Beach in Speech Communication (as a transfer student from Long Beach City College). As a graduate of the CSU system, she has personal experience and understanding of students who attend CSUSM and their pathway to attaining a college degree.

I offer my thanks and appreciation to the members of the search committee for their commitment and diligence in completing this recruitment: Janet Powell (chair), Oneita Billings, Martha Stoddard Holmes, Michael Hughes, Michelle Hunt, Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, Cyrus Masroori, Leo Melena, Jennifer Mellow, Sam Ramtin, as well as to the co-staff to the committee, Pia Bombardier and Karen Irwin.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Johnson to CSUSM as dean of CHABSS (jjohnson@csusm.edu).

Graham Oberem
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs