Colleagues,
As we near winter break, I want to take a moment to thank you for all you have done this year and provide a few academic updates that I am excited about as we look toward 2026. Our schools, colleges, centers, institutes, performance spaces, laboratories, and entire academic enterprise have been immersed in fulfilling our mission of a high-quality, personalized education. From recently achieving our highest U.S. News national ranking in our university’s history to Wilkinson student Roxanne Aguilera (’24 Political Science, Sociology and ’26 MA International Studies) winning a Fulbright Fellowship, I am proud of our collective and individual efforts that position us well for the future.
As I look ahead, I believe that one of Chapman’s greatest differentiators – and opportunities – is experiential learning. At Chapman, regardless of discipline or program, we can deliver customized, hands-on educational, research, and training opportunities that maximize our ideal size, our standout facilities, our depth of expertise and network, and our care for our students. Going forward, I want us to proactively and intentionally design experiences that further challenge and prepare our students for what’s next in their academic or professional careers, and we can leverage interdisciplinarity and bridge-building in the process. I will continue to work with our deans on this effort, and I look forward to hearing many ideas to get us there.
Speaking of our deans, we have recently launched comprehensive national searches for the deans of the Fowler School of Law and the Argyros College of Business and Economics. Interim Argyros College Dean Tom Turk is chairing the Fowler Law search, while Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Dean Stephen Galloway is leading the Argyros College dean search. The interdisciplinary and representative search committees will be supported in their work by a national search firm with expertise in higher education. We anticipate both searches to wrap up by the end of the academic year. Additional communications will follow.
I also wanted to update you that our important university-wide work on artificial intelligence continues to progress. In addition to our AI Advisory and Governance Committee that is focused on policy and guideline recommendations, we have formed a task force charged with reviewing existing AI-related teaching, research, and administrative efforts and recommending a framework that will holistically advance Chapman’s position and offerings in this area. We are putting the right pieces together to be successful in this space, and the committee and task force will likely provide initial recommendations early in the new year.
The work of the General Education Task Force also continues, and I want to thank those who participated in the recent survey. Your perspectives will help to inform the future of general education at Chapman.
As we wrap up 2025, I wish you a successful conclusion to the fall semester and ask that you please finish out all of your semester-end duties, including entering grades by Dec. 22. And, importantly, I want to offer my appreciation for all your support and well wishes as I assumed the role of provost. I look forward to the many great things we will accomplish together next year and for many years to come.
As you enter the holiday break, I hope you are able to take time to rest and come back to campus recharged for the spring semester.
Mike Ibba
EVP, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer