The current dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, James Brome Ph.D., will be stepping down at Commonwealth University Bloomsburg. Brown plans to return as a faculty member for the fall 2024 semester. Since 2004, Brown has served as Dean at Bloomsburg University, after ten years as a Professor of English at Charleston Southern University. 

“Over the past two or three years, I’ve been thinking more and more about how I want to finish my career doing what I love in the classroom, so I’m really thankful for the opportunity to do that here.”

Commonwealth University students and faculty received an email from President Bashar Hanna on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 detailing staffing changes along with a reorganized college system. Dr. Ann Larson will become Dean of the emerging College of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. Housing departments such as Education, Visual Arts, and newly combined Communications/Media and Journalism, representation of many majors in decision-making processes will shift. 

“The majors are going to stay the same for now,… the departments are going to face some challenges learning how to work together, but there are also a lot of opportunities,” assures Brown.

The original 28 academic departments will condense to 18. President Hanna’s email explains how this change will “put more experienced faculty in the classroom to enhance the educational experience of the students.”  Dr. Brown looks forward to returning to the classroom although he may not be teaching is main specialization, Twentieth-Century English and Irish Literature, his first year back.

“I’m hoping to be teaching first-year seminar, maybe introductory literature, but certainly composition. These are all that I’ve taught back in my previous life, and I’m looking forward to getting back into it.”