Homecoming for a Dean

Serving as the founding dean of UNCW’s College of College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts (CHSSA) is a huge undertaking, but STEPHANIE CAULDER has proven she is the right person for the job. In just a year and a half, Caulder has not only gotten the college off the ground, she has also implemented significant new programs for students and faculty. In many ways, Caulder is just getting started, as she has a host of additional initiatives she hopes to put into place in the future.

“It goes back to UNCW’s mission statement: Education transforms lives,” Caulder says. “For me to help students have a great education and wonderful college experience is rewarding to me.”

Caulder, who continues to perform as a professional oboist, has extensive experience in university administration. She served as the chairperson, assistant chairperson, and coordinator of graduate studies in the music department of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and as the associate director for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Community Music School. Most recently, she was the dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Radford University in Virginia. 

When the position at UNCW opened, Caulder, who is a Wilmington native, jumped at the opportunity. Caulder says the job allowed her to use her many leadership skills for the community that has given her so much.

As the founding dean of CHSSA, Caulder was determined to make the college meet – and even exceed – expectations. In addition to the usual responsibilities of college deanship, such as overseeing all academic programs and budgetary issues, she initiated new programs that make CHSSA stand out. 

For instance, Caulder built an advisory team for the college’s students from scratch. 

“By the end of the summer, every student in CHSSA will have a professional advisor,” says Caulder. “When the advisory team is paired with career counseling and things like internships, we provide a one-stop shop to prepare students to be hired.”

Caulder also doubled funding for CHSSA’s faculty for research and travel. Those additional funds mean faculty can pursue research projects on issues such as the criminal justice system, food scarcity, and violence prevention. 

While Caulder is proud of the progress she has made so far, she has a host of new goals, many of which are already in the works, for the future. For example, the college is integrating more technology into its disciplines and developing a number of interdisciplinary programs. CHSSA will also offer a Completer Program, through which students who ended their studies for some reason can finish their degree programs.

In addition, the college is tackling timely issues such as how to responsibly and ethically incorporate artificial intelligence into society and legislation, Caulder adds.

For Caulder, serving as CHSSA’s founding dean is a homecoming in every sense of the word. 

“For me to come home and give back to the place where I lived gives me so much to be grateful for,” she says. “I’m feeling pretty fortunate.” 

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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