Dr. Deborah James has taken on a new role as Interim Chair of the Division of Arts and Letters at Governors State.

The Phoenix caught up with Dr. James, an  Associate Professor of Media Studies and former chairperson of the Center of Community Media Steering Committee, and asked about her new goals and agendas.

James, who assumed her new position May 3, 2022, said, “I oversee the Division of Arts and Letters (DAL) faculty and staff. DAL includes 11 undergraduate and seven graduate programs, certificates, and minors. This includes supporting faculty teaching and student learning.”

“I continue to support the Center for Performing Arts, the Visual Art Gallery and the Nate, and the Center for Community Media,” James said. “In terms of outreach, I work with the External Relations and Promotions Coordinator to build community partnerships. And I prioritize budget-related needs.”

Asked if current and future goals or plans have been implemented , James replied, “I will continue to build on the good work of the preceding Chair who now serves as the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. One of my goals is to encourage public scholarship while continuing to support faculty and staff in serving the students.”

What does an expansion in scholarship look like? James said, “This stems from the work that’s being done at the Center for Community Media; they have a media research institute which offers a competitive fellowship for faculty on campus, and that is really to help them take their scholarship into public scholarship.”

Faculty at GSU have already taken their research to begin the conversation and collaboration in encouraging many scholarships, such as restorative justice.

Explaining how she plans to achieve her goals, James said: “It is always important to take an organized approach to work; this helps keep me on track and on deadline- that being said, it’s important to take care of myself and encourage those I work with to do the same.”

“Control sheets, I create control sheets,” she said. “For example, if there’s a process I need to follow, and it is going to be repeated every week, or at specific times of the year, I’ll write down what that process is, the steps, and who needs to be on that email (or chain of people) .”

When asked what this all means for students and will more resources be provided, James said: “With 10 years of experience as a faculty member at GSU, my moving into the interim chair role will help to ensure continuity and stability.”