ÌÇÐÄVlogÊÓƵ

A message straight from Dean Alicia Rodriquez's desk to your computer letting you know about her thoughts, plans for Arts and Humanities, and more!

Dean's Message, Fall 2025

Welcome, Fall Semester, 2025

Thank you for taking a moment to visit the Dean’s Corner.

The Fall semester is off to a great start! In addition to the valuable, life-changing education that our faculty provide students in and outside of the classroom, on the stage, and in the studio, the Arts and Humanities fall program calendar is packed with lectures, concerts, events, and performances.  Each of the college’s academic departments, which include Art and Art History, Communications, English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Music and Theatre, and Philosophy and Religious Studies, provide students – and our broader community – with opportunities to appreciate the arts and the humanities.  I’ll highlight a few of these below, but first, I have some wonderful news.

Over the summer, Mr. Ryan Stinson, donated $25,000 to establish the Ryan Stinson History Scholarship.  Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, the scholarship will support one undergraduate student each year.  Mr. Stinson recognized the importance of history in understanding both the past and the future, and the impact that such a scholarship can have on our students.  Read more about .  Thank you, Mr. Stinson, for recognizing the caliber of our students here at ÌÇÐÄVlogÊÓƵ, and for investing in them, and in our community.  Now, let’s take a quick look at a couple of our programs.

The Music and Theatre programs, with the leadership of our dedicated faculty and staff, are offering a robust schedule of concerts and performances that light up the Doré Theatre and other performance spaces, and showcase our talented student musicians and theatre students.  Learn more about Music’s concerts and events and more about the Theatre program’s fall events.  Among this fall’s slate of performances is a production of 9 to 5 the Musical, featuring the music and lyrics of the beloved country music legend, Dolly Parton.

Thanks to the hard work of the Dean’s Office staff and with support from donors and campus partners, on Saturday, October 25, the College of Arts and Humanities is excited to continue its highly successful Beyond the Classroom initiative.  We’ll charter a bus and take forty-eight students to the Getty Center in Los Angeles, where some of the college’s students will have the opportunity to visit one of the nation’s premier cultural centers.  This field trip, which is a great example of experiential learning, will enhance students’ education at ÌÇÐÄVlogÊÓƵ, and help them appreciate the arts and humanities in a real-world setting, outside of the classroom.  Learn more about Beyond the Classroom. 

To learn more about the lectures, panels, exhibits, and other events that enrich students’ experiences and provide the public with opportunities to engage with ÌÇÐÄVlogÊÓƵ, visit our calendar of events.  As Kern County’s University, we warmly welcome community members to our events.   

I thank our faculty, staff, and our generous community supporters for all you do to serve our students and the community in which we live.  Please consider donating to invest in our students – – so that we can continue to fund opportunities for them to engage in research and participate in workshops, out-of-town competitions, conferences, and field trips.  

With gratitude and appreciation,

Alicia E. Rodriquez, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Arts and Humanities

 

2025 Honors Convocation Program