In the 2023-2024 Report
Message from the Dean
We’ve closed a remarkable year in Arts & Sciences. I am in awe of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and honored by the opportunity to lead this community. I’m eternally grateful to you – friends and supporters of Arts & Sciences – for your generosity in making our work possible.
I am often struck by how much happens every day across Arts & Sciences. Research, study abroad, internships. Self-discovery, learning, growth. Delight, struggle, perseverance. Here, we do things together. We achieve together. We work through challenging times together. We create a new future together. It is a vibrant community for our students because of our faculty and staff, and because of you.
I hope you enjoy reading more about what your support made possible in the 2023-2024 academic year.
I remain ever grateful for you,
Suzanne Raitt
Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Chancellor Professor of English
Dean's Key Initiatives
-
Strategic Visioning
At a time of tremendous opportunity in higher education, it is more important than ever to have a clear and cohesive vision for the future. Initiated in the spring of 2024, the Future of Arts & Sciences committee is dedicated to shaping the future of Arts & Sciences by gathering invaluable feedback and data. We are collecting both qualitative and quantitative insights to inform our strategic direction and goals for the next five to ten years. This initiative underscores our commitment to shared governance and collaborative decision-making. The committee’s research will continue through the fall 2024 semester, culminating in the spring of 2025. Your support and input are vital as we work together to define the identity, aspirations, and trajectory of Arts & Sciences at William & Mary. Join us in this transformative journey as we envision and create a vibrant future for Arts & Sciences.
-
Maximizing Your Impact
Under the leadership of the new A&S Senior Associate Dean for Finance & Administration, Tarikul Islam, we look forward to working with the Office of the Provost and expert consultants to review our budget and financial practices. Our goal is to maximize the impact of every dollar, ensuring your generous support achieves the greatest possible outcome. Additionally, we are committed to aligning our teaching capacity with W&M enrollment trends by prioritizing faculty recruitment. Finally, we aim to enhance the efficiency of our administrative support. By streamlining operations, we will create a more balanced and effective work environment for our dedicated team. Your support is instrumental as we continue to serve our academic community.
-
Transitioning School for Computing, Data Sciences and Physics
We are excited to share a new chapter in the history of William & Mary. In 2024, W&M announced its proposal for a School of Computing, Data Sciences and Physics, set to launch in 2025. This innovative school will bring together four academic units currently within Arts & Sciences, creating a hub of cutting-edge education and research. Distinct from Arts & Sciences yet highly collaborative, this partnership will offer a unique opportunity to study data science and other related sciences in the context of a liberal arts education. It will provide remarkable opportunities for growth, discovery, and success in both schools. Our commitment to supporting and elevating the liberal arts & sciences remains unwavering. With your generous support, we can continue to enhance the excellence of all our programs.
A&S By the Numbers
Arts & Sciences is William & Mary's largest academic unit, with more than 40 departments and interdisciplinary programs. These departments and programs represent the historic and academic heart of W&M. Explore Arts & Sciences by the numbers and learn more about the teaching, research and learning happening on and off campus, and in and out of the classroom.
2023-2024 Student Enrollment
-
6,701Undergraduate
-
360Graduate
Undergraduate Majors by Area
-
759Arts & Humanities
including 314 secondary majors
-
1,571Natural, Physical & Computational Sciences
including 115 secondary majors
-
2,218Social Sciences
including 319 secondary majors
Graduate Students by Area
-
37Arts & Humanities
-
204Natural, Physical & Computational Sciences
-
104Social Sciences
Student Success
Arts & Sciences has been my home for the last several years and I know that because of my time in it, I am not only a much better student, but also a better person. I've been taught not to take the world at face value and instead to critically examine its mechanisms in order to improve it for future generations. The passion evident in every faculty member has left a lasting impression on me and I know that even in 20 years, I'll still remember the stories and lessons they've imparted to me.
- Becca Stamm ‘25, Government and Philosophy
Student Outcomes
A&S students are equipped as leaders for today and tomorrow. The Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement connects with students post-graduation through the Next Destination Survey. Read about the Class of 2022 and stay tuned for updates from the classes of 2023 and 2024.
Check out recent achievements from current students and alumni:
Applied Learning & Internships
As the A&S hub for applied learning, the Charles Center continues to expand access to undergraduate research beyond the classroom through increased support for mentored research, internships, and faculty-led experiences in the field. Director Elizabeth Harbron was selected to spearhead the university’s multiyear Quality Enhancement Plan focused on cross-campus collaboration, data collection, and innovation to facilitate “applied learning for all.”
In addition to awarding summer 2024 research grants to more than 270 students, the Charles Center is supporting 63 internships, including experiences for:
30 Monroe Scholars
8 Sharpe Community Scholars
11 City Research Scholars (3 interns with the City of Williamsburg and 8 interns with area nonprofits)
10 Woody interns in Museum Studies
4 Journalism & Democracy fellows
Undergraduate & Mentored Research
-
175Students Completed Undergraduate Honors Theses
W&M Rankings
-
# 6Best Colleges: Undergraduate TeachingU.S. News & World Report (2024)
-
# 8Best Schools for Internships (Public)The Princeton Review (2024)
-
# 23Best Colleges: Public UniversitiesU.S. News & World Report (2024)
Innovation
-
Pursuing Bachelor's Degree in Marine Science
William & Mary is moving forward with a proposal for the first undergraduate marine science program at a public university in Virginia. The university has offered a minor in marine science since 2010, with faculty members from the School of Marine Science at W&M’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) partnering with Arts & Sciences to administer the program.
-
Pursuing Degrees in Public Health and Human Health & Physiology
William & Mary's department of Kinesiology, which has seen the second greatest percent increase in graduating majors of any department in Arts & Sciences over the last 10 years, is moving forward with a proposal to replace the B.A./B.S. in Kinesiology with a B.S. in Human Health & Physiology and a B.A./B.S. in Public Health.
Graduate Arts & Sciences
The past academic year has been a time of change and anticipation in Graduate A&S. In January 2024, the A&S Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) welcomed a new Assistant Dean, Trey Mayo Ed.D. '22, who has been an outstanding addition to the OGS team. In February 2024, A&S launched the new Graduate Center in Ewell Hall. This dedicated space provides a central location for a range of professional development activities benefiting our graduate students, as well as a place for these students to meet, study and relax.
On the near horizon is the creation of a proposed School of Computing, Data Sciences and Physics (SCDSP), a research-intensive unit that will welcome roughly 47% of all the graduate students who are currently part of Arts & Sciences. In anticipation of the launch of this school, the A&S Graduate Studies Advisory Board (a board of accomplished and dedicated alumni and donors) voted unanimously to begin the process of expanding their scope so that they may benefit graduate students in both A&S and SCDSP.
Faculty Excellence
Research & Grants
Faculty continued doing the high-quality research for which W&M is known, winning external grants, and building new collaborations globally, locally, and within the university. We allocated approximately $245,000 internally this year to support faculty research and events via the Faculty Grants Fund, made possible in part by the A&S Annual Fund.
In addition to internal funding awarded, faculty secured significant external funding. Below are the external funding totals for A&S FY24 to date (7/1/2023-6/30/24). Please note, these totals are incomplete and unaudited; final totals will be available later in 2024.
- 230 external proposals totaling $62,503,051
- External grant funding: $17,736,491 awards
- Of the above award totals, $1,075,613 represents 36 external student and faculty fellowships
Books Published by Faculty
Each year, William & Mary News publishes a compilation of books written or edited by faculty across campus, as submitted by the authors. Explore the 2023 list.
Inclusive Impact
Four strategic initiatives support Arts & Sciences’ affirmation of diversity and inclusion as vital components in academic excellence.
-
Insights from Within
The Insights from Within annual community conversation explored mentoring experiences in Arts & Sciences in breakout sessions and a panel featuring leaders and participants of mentoring programs in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology.
-
Inclusive Inquiry Speaker Series
The A&S Inclusive Inquiry Speaker Series in spring 2024 featured a two-day film festival with screenings of two films and a keynote speech by Omar Kamara '15 (Economics), and short films from Richmond-based Cadence Theatre Company’s Sitelines BLM ACTION initiative, led by Omiyẹmi Green.
-
AFFURM Faculty Network
AFFURM Faculty Network was launched in fall 2023 as a mentoring, community-building, and faculty success initiative and is comprised of two dozen faculty who joined A&S from 2020-present. In its first year the program featured four faculty-led workshops and two in-person gatherings.
-
Open Inquiry Awards
Open Inquiry Awards support faculty efforts to promote open inquiry of diverse experiences and perspectives in existing or new non-COLL courses. Faculty from Modern Language and Literatures, Anthropology, Computer Science, English, Asian Pacific Islander American Studies, Philosophy, American Studies, Theatre, Dance, and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies were among the award’s inaugural recipients.
Arts at W&M
It is a new and exciting chapter for the Arts at W&M, with the completion of the most recent phase of construction and renovations of the Arts Quarter and Eric Despard joining the team as Executive & Artistic Director of the Arts. Eric collaborates with faculty in music, dance, theatre, film and media studies, creative writing, and art and art history, as well as partners across campus and the region to steward the Arts Quarter. He has established an office in support of the Arts at W&M dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive arts community. Through innovative programming, dynamic collaborations, and a commitment to excellence, the office of the Arts at W&M aims to celebrate the transformative power of the arts and cultivate a deep appreciation for diverse artistic expressions.
Communications
In 2023-2024, the A&S communications team focused its work on the A&S identity and brand, content development, internal communications and advancement support. Developing the brand of A&S will continue with our strategic planning process. With a new Communications & Web Specialist on board, they began an in-depth audit of the A&S web presence and launched a system to provide web support to the more than 200 web users across A&S. The team also launched the A&S Communications Hub for faculty and staff, redesigned the A&S website landing page, produced the first-ever Arts & Sciences annual report and internal year-in-review report, and hired a part-time writer.
Advancement
Support from A&S donors increased significantly in 2023-2024, and we are grateful for our strong and ever-growing community of donors who made the following achievements possible:
- More than $8.1 million in gifts
- 5,319 donors
- 4,502 individual gifts under $250 for a total of $324,419
One Tribe One Day, the university’s annual giving day, in March was a huge success. With 2,365 donors and more than $353,000 raised in support of our students and faculty across our departments and programs, we had the most donors of any school or unit, with a 24% increase in participation compared to the previous year. We are grateful for your dedication in making the day a success by every measure. Leading the way on OTOD was our Council of Arts & Sciences' hugely successful challenge to inspire the entire A&S community to join them. The Council, now entering its fourth year, continues to offer valuable guidance, support and resources to our work together across A&S.
A&S Funding Priorities
Your support of the Arts & Sciences Annual Fund strengthens and elevates the role of A&S as a centerpiece of critical thinking and creative problem solving. Annual Fund support furthers these strategic funding priorities, as well as other needs of A&S departments and programs.
-
Equitable Futures
Provide support for high-impact undergraduate and graduate student experiences that can shift a student's understanding of themselves and the world. Help us educate for impact through access for career readiness, funded internships, pre-professional advising and more.
-
Leading the Way
Increase teaching and research opportunities through support for excellence in teaching, research infrastructure, collaborative research initiatives and community partnerships. Expand W&M's reach through support for groundbreaking teaching and research.
-
Transformation
Provide resources for A&S to reach new heights as a leader in liberal arts & sciences education. As we evolve to excel, you can support the crucial work of all Arts & Sciences departments, programs, centers and its people.
Contact the A&S Advancement Team:
University Advancement
Gerald Bullock, M.Ed.'97
- Title: Executive Director of Development, Arts & Sciences
- Email: [[igbull]]
- Phone: 757-221-1023
Carey Clow
- Title: Director of Development, Arts & Sciences
- Email: [[cclow]]
- Phone: 757-221-5097
Susan Adams
- Title: Donor Engagement Associate, Arts & Sciences
- Email: [[sfadams]]
- Phone: 757-221-1805
Looking Ahead
As we wrap up this academic year and look to the future, we know the upcoming year will bring many new experiences, some challenges, and most of all, opportunities to engage our highest and best abilities in service to the students we mentor and teach, and to further our scholarship, research, and contributions to the broader academic community.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, we look forward to moving our key initiatives forward with a commitment to excellence across A&S. We are grateful for the support of donors like you who ensure A&S is a place where students explore and discover, where new ideas flourish, and where the bounds of knowledge expand.
With gratitude,
Suzanne Raitt
Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Chancellor Professor of English
