Division of Academic Affairs

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs is happy to announce the creation of the new Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies. This new College-level unit within Academic Affairs brings together the School of General Studies with the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies to foster collaboration around both the general education program and interdisciplinary initiatives. 

One of the primary aims of this integration is to encourage greater participation by faculty in all Colleges in the teaching of first-year students and to position the new Division as an area that will serve and work with all Colleges and a wide range of programs. This change is a logical extension of the work that has been accomplished in the School of General Studies and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies over many years. The School of General Studies has always been a locus for activity and student support that reaches across Colleges. This includes the teaching and management of many General Education (GE) foundation and distribution courses, the supervision of GE Program assessment, the testing and advising of new students from all Colleges, and the support for Undecided students. It also includes the School of General Studies’s central role in a wide variety of important activities supporting undergraduate students such as the Common Read program and the semi-annual major/minor fair. 

Likewise, since its inception in 2016, the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies has successfully created opportunities to advance collaborative teaching and research and to expand interdisciplinary affiliations and partnerships across campus. It oversees numerous interdisciplinary minors and courses, and the Center has created unique learning opportunities for students through the sponsorship of high-profile speaker events and activities such as experiential workshops and travelearns. 

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, David Birdsell, observed that “The creation of the Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies mobilizes the natural affiliation between the work of General Studies and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies to bolster innovative teaching practices and to support curriculum development that will inspire and serve the needs of Kean students in all majors. I am particularly excited about the development of new, interdisciplinary minors spanning two or more colleges and doing the outreach necessary to enroll many more undergraduate students in these academic programs than has historically been the case at Kean.” 

The Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies will continue to offer the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and foster partnerships across Colleges to develop a range of new interdisciplinary minors. For more information about the Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies, please see the Undergraduate Catalog and the Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies website.

Since the founding of this institution in 1855, the programs and curricula of Kean University have supported generations of New Jersey residents’ aspirations for productive and rewarding lives for themselves and their communities. These academic programs are now among the best in the nation.

The Office of Academic Affairs is central to the success of these programs, promoting high academic standards for faculty and students, and administering the resources, policies, and plans that sustain them. Academic Affairs encompasses all of the academic components of what is now a comprehensive, diverse, and growing state University.

Kean’s six colleges host more than 100 major and minor undergraduate programs, as well as more than 35 graduate degrees. 

The Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, who reports directly to the University President, is responsible for overall academic operations and office functions. The Deans, the Associate Provosts, the Associate and Assistant Vice  Presidents report directly to the Senior Vice President. You can read more about the personnel of the Office of Academic Affairs on the “Meet the Staff” page of this site.