When I listen to our students speak about their future careers I often reflect upon my own - wondering if I am in the career that I charted some thirty years ago as I walked the halls of Meadowbrook High School, a very small school, in a very small town, and in a very small part of the world.
As I reflect upon those years, I am immediately reminded that I am not able to remember all of the people and all of the events that prepared the way for me to become a Dean. However, I do remember, daily, how happy I am to be the Dean of the College of Social Sciences.
Whether I am walking the swamp with our undergraduate anthropology students, or chatting and laughing with Shawn on The WOLF Internet Radio; whether I am discussing a thesis topic with a psychology graduate student or a volunteer activity with a sociology student, I am happy. I am happy when my faculty colleagues drop by, if only for a piece of chocolate. I am happy when I hear the sounds of our staff colleagues laughing. And I am happy when alumni see me in the community and take a moment to share their inspiring stories of accomplishment.
From a nationally-recognized online program in Criminology, to state-of-the-art facilities in Anthropology and Mass Communications, to award-winning programs in Political Science & Planning, to growing and dynamic Sociology programs, to the first and only Ph.D. program at the University through our Psychology department, the College of Social Sciences not only reflects the growth and success of the University of West Georgia, we often lead it. This makes me happy.
Yet what makes me the happiest is knowing that someday I just might be remembered as one of the people who prepared the way for one of our students to find a career that she or he could not have imagined some 30 years earlier. It feels very good to be empowering life-changing learners to engage their tomorrows, today.
N. Jane McCandless, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean
Dr. N. Jane McCandless is a Professor of Sociology and the Dean of the College of Social Sciences.
