Message from the Dean

To put it simply, the 2011 academic year was a great one for the College of Social and Behavioral Science. Our inaugural annual report will give you a good idea of what our students, faculty, and alumni have been doing. I hope you'll enjoy the electronic format of the report, a format that allows for not only broader and more efficient distribution, but one that allows us to integrate video as well.

Let me start by saying thank you to all CSBS faculty and staff for their dedication, hard work, and expertise, all geared toward making the student experience at the U an excellent one. Two new associate deans joined the college this year, with Dr. Jeff Kentor transitioning into the position as senior associate dean for academic affairs and Dr. Jessie Fan taking the reigns as the college's first-ever associate dean for research.

CSBS continues to be the largest college at the U, granting over 1500 degrees this past year. Please take a moment to view the convocation video link provided. The college has made a considerable effort to enhance and support the research mission, with the creation of the Office of Research Administration and the Research Incentive Program. As you'll see from the graph in the report, research growth has been exceptional. In comparison to 2008 numbers ($1,180,098), the upcoming 2012 academic year will see growth of 500% ($6,097,978), truly a remarkable accomplishment for our faculty. It's important to point out that our "hit rate" for funded grants more than doubled this past year. Critical to success in coming years will be the creation of an infrastructure that allows these gains to be sustainable from year to year.Let me start by saying thank you to all CSBS faculty and staff for their dedication, hard work, and expertise, all geared toward making the student experience at the U an excellent one. Two new associate deans joined the college this year, with Dr. Jeff Kentor transitioning into the position as senior associate dean for academic affairs and Dr. Jessie Fan taking the reigns as the college's first-ever associate dean for research.

The college also had an excellent year on the development side, with total gifts easily exceeding the $2 million mark. The generosity of many of our alumni and friends is greatly appreciated. A number of gifts are highlighted in the report. The college will be initiating fundraising campaigns targeting both students and alumni during the coming academic year. We have a number of pressing needs in the college, particularly since we haven't had a new academic building in almost five decades. I'll be in touch soon about these campaigns.

You'll notice a section dedicated to our students. In particular, our Student Ambassador Program has been helpful to me in identifying and targeting student needs. In an effort to better meet the needs of our students, the college has initiated partnerships with several other colleges at the U, including business, education, and engineering. These partnerships are also providing collaborative research opportunities for our faculty.

Thank you for your support of the college. We will be engaged in strategic planning this fall so don't be surprised if you hear from me or a faculty member to get your input. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss anything about the college. I'm happy to share what we're doing and a vision for the future. Go Utes!

M. David Rudd

Dean