Scott Sprenger New Dean of College of Arts & Humanities
OGDEN, UTAH – Weber State University’s Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities (https://www.weber.edu/cah) today announced the appointment of Scott Sprenger as dean of the college. Sprenger currently serves as Provost at the American University of Paris. Previously, he served as an associate dean of the College of Humanities at Brigham Young University (BYU). Sprenger replaces Madonne Miner as dean who was named Provost in July of 2015. Sprenger will oversee nearly 3,500 students, faculty and staff in five primary departments including: Communication, English, Foreign Languages, Performing Arts and Visual Art & Design. Sprenger will begin his new duties on July 1, 2016.
“Scott has a distinguished record of leadership, teaching, scholarly research and familiarity with the Utah Higher Education system,” said Madonne Miner, Provost of Weber State University. “During our national search for a new dean, Scott demonstrated the experience necessary to lead a college of arts and humanities in the twenty-first century and beyond. The creation and development of his ‘Humanities Plus’ program aimed at bridging the humanities and liberal arts with global career opportunities is unmatched and will be a wonderful asset to our college and university.”
Sprenger has spent the past two years as the Provost of The American University of Paris where he worked on advancing the global liberal arts, founding three research centers devoted to global challenges and the seamless integration of advising and careers. Before being named to his current position, he was the associate dean in the College of Humanities at Brigham Young University where he also taught French literature and European Studies.
His administrative work has covered a broad range of areas, such as faculty development, tenure and promotions, program assessment of study abroad and internships, international program oversight, college and university advising, and career development and curriculum. While at BYU, the Humanities Plus program Sprenger developed was recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Science as one of the most innovative initiatives in liberal arts education. He has also actively promoted the humanities and liberal arts with Congress via the Humanities Alliance Conference, on national and international radio and in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
“I am thrilled to be returning to Utah as dean of one of the most progressive arts and humanities programs in the west,” said Sprenger. “A firm foundation of excellence was established by my predecessor. As I accept this position, I will focus on the interests and needs of students. I have found that a student-centered philosophy is the most principled and effective motivator among faculty, administrators and donors. I look forward to using the knowledge gained at AUP and through the ‘Humanities Plus’ program at BYU to raise the consciousness of students, parents, and faculty about the value of the humanities and arts for career preparation in a global setting.”
Dr. Sprenger holds graduate degrees in French from Johns Hopkins University and Emory University. He also was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award from France’s National Center for Scientific Research and has held an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCLA. He is the author of numerous publications on French literature and culture, and is known for his blog, Humanities Plus (https://humanitiesplus.byu.edu).
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About the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities The Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities teaches students to excel as they seek, understand, question and express complexities critical to the experience of being human. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities offers undergraduate degree programs in the following five areas: Communication, English, Foreign Language, Performing Arts and Visual Art & Design. Master’s degrees also are offered in Communication and English. The college serves more than 2,000 undergraduate majors and 250 graduate students. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities is the Western region’s foremost institution for student- centered teaching and research that investigates the human experience and aims to educate global citizens who are responsible, creative and critical artists, performers and communicators. For more information please visit, (www.weber.edu/cah).
Christie Denniston, Director of Marketing and PR, Weber State University
801-626-6431 • cdenniston@weber.edu- Contact:
Christie Denniston, Director of Marketing and PR, Weber State University
801-626-6431 • cdenniston@weber.edu