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Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to share the progress we have made in the restructuring of CHSS. Since November, we have worked to organize our thematic subdivisions into a more cohesive departmental structure. We have now reached a significant milestone with the following design:

A: School of Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences

• Psychology 
• Linguistics  

B: School of Social Sciences

• Justice Studies + Sociology 
• Political Science & Law + History + Anthropology 

C: To be Named

• English 
• World Languages and Cultures + Spanish & Latino Studies + Religion 
• Classics & General Humanities + Philosophy 

D: School for Interdisciplinary Studies

• Interdisciplinary programs 
• Department of Writing Studies

This design creates a clear intellectual foundation for each entity and aligns with the four stated criteria. It also supports the chairs’ principles by maintaining the department and chair structure, and preserving a direct relationship between them and the dean.

I want to thank everyone for the patience and persistence required to bring us to this point. Our next steps involve working collectively to shape the governance and support systems that will ensure that these four entities and the college thrive for years to come.

With much gratitude,

Fatma

Upcoming Events

Psychology Colloquium Series

All are invited to join the first ever Psychology Colloquium Series, bringing regional scholars to campus to share their research with faculty and students.

How do our brains navigate the social world: Studying how we form and maintain social connections, with Sebastian Speer, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University.

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2:00 p.m.

Location: Brantl Lecture Hall, Dickson 177

Register to Attend

Spanish Language Stories Return to The Montclarion

To help serve the large Hispanic/Latino student population on campus, The Montclarion, working with the Department of Spanish and Latin Studies, created an internship to find a student to translate English language articles into Spanish.

Distinguished Author Mira Jacob visits Montclair

Students, alumni and faculty were treated to a reading from Jacob's upcoming novel, We Killed Anji Alexander.

Annual Legislative Breakfasts Spotlights Urgent Issue of Sports Trafficking

The Global Center on Human Trafficking convened its fourth annual Legislative Breakfast, bringing together 190 legislators, survivor leaders, experts, law enforcement, service providers, and students to examine human trafficking at the intersection of sports.

Pevitr Bansal (Psychology) is quoted in this Telegraph article about signs of psychopathy in young people. 

Fanny Lauby (Political Science and Law) co-authored an op-ed on academic freedom for Le Monde. The piece encourages the French government to adopt stricter protections for scholars in the context of a worldwide increase in threats to academic freedom.

Announcements

Native American & Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Summer Field School

*An exciting opportunity to share with students in your networks!*

This four-week, community-engaged program (May 18 – June 12, 2026) is offered in collaboration with New Jersey’s indigenous communities and centers Indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice, food sovereignty, language reclamation, and cultural heritage preservation. Students spend much of the program off campus, learning directly from tribal elders and leaders while supporting community-identified priorities.

The field school is open to all current Montclair State undergraduate and graduate students. Participation is free, and accepted students receive a $2,000 stipend. Transportation, meals for off-campus days, and camping gear are provided. More information and the application can be found here.

Application Deadline: March 15

CHSS Dean Search: Your Input Needed

The Search Committee and WittKieffer team invite your feedback to help shape the leadership profile for this search. Your input will guide the development of the public profile used to attract and evaluate candidates. We look forward to your insights as we seek the future leadership of our college.

Coursera Career Academy Sessions

Faculty are invited to join an upcoming virtual Coursera Career Academy Enablement Sessions, held online via Zoom. These sessions are designed for faculty interested in integrating Coursera content into their courses and curriculum. Registration is required for attendance.

The session will introduce Coursera Career Academy and demonstrate how you can leverage its career‑aligned learning pathways and professional certificates to enhance your courses, enrich programs, and help students build the skills needed for today’s workforce. We will also share several use‑case scenarios, followed by time for Q&A.

Please register below:

• March 18, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (Zoom – registration required)
• April 20, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (Zoom - registration required)
• May 4, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (Zoom - registration required)

If you have attended a Coursera Enablement Session in the past, there is no need to attend again, but you are welcome to join if you’d like a refresher or have additional questions.

Nominate a Student for the Future Student Affairs Professionals Program

The Future Student Affairs Professionals aims to educate, mentor and engage with undergraduate students who have the potential to pursue a future career in Student Affairs. Through an application process, 20 juniors and seniors will be selected to learn more about the field of Student Affairs. Participants will have the opportunity to shadow different departments, attend conferences, join committees and meet and build relationships with current professionals in different functional areas of Student Affairs. Submit a Nomination

At Your Service

Join an AI Reading List

AJ Kelton is curating a living document of articles on AI in the humanities, social sciences, and/or pedagogy. The document is searchable and each entry includes a citation and a 150-word AI-generated synopsis, organized by topic headings.

If you’d like access to view the document, please complete this form.

Those with access receive a brief update on Fridays listing new articles added that week, including the citation and a 50-word summary.

CHSS Resource Guide

This guide is designed to support our faculty, instructors, and staff by providing quick access to the tools, policies, and information you need to carry out your work effectively. Inside, you’ll find resources on office operations, administrative processes, technology support, and campus services all in one place. Whether you’re new or a tenured colleague, this guide will help you throughout the academic year. If you have a question and cannot find the answer in this guide, or don’t know who to contact, start with the Administrative Services Team.

Stay Connected with CHSS