Shippensburg University’s Department of Art & Design has filled key teaching positions after all four of its tenured faculty members retired at the end of last semester.
Professors Steve Dolbin, Ben Culbertson, Michael Campbell and William Whiteley stepped away over the summer, leaving the department without any tenure-track faculty for the first time in decades. Their departures came amid broader challenges for the university, including budget pressures, declining enrollment and administrative turnover.
Trever Famulare, interim chair of Art & Design, said the university has hired four new adjunct faculty members to cover areas such as drawing, ceramics, sculpture, computer design, painting, art history, art appreciation and art education. One adjunct remains from last year, and only one is full time.
“The positions filled allow us to offer 16 courses students need within their major, minor and general education,” Famulare said. “There has been no change in course offerings this semester as compared to previous semesters.”
The department currently serves about 70 students, many of them art education majors. Famulare said staffing changes have not affected degree requirements.
“We are committed to continuing to offer the courses students need for degree completion,” he said. “A talented adjunct faculty has been hired within a short time frame, and we are confident that students will have an amazing educational experience this year.”
Discussions about a possible merger of the Art & Design and Music & Theatre Arts departments have also been paused, according to Famulare, who serves as chair of both programs. If talks resume, he said, the focus will remain on ensuring students have access to the classes they need.
Famulare added that the department is looking ahead with a positive outlook.
“I recently had our first department meeting with the faculty of Art & Design, and I came away from the meeting with pure excitement,” he said. “The faculty we have put in place are a vibrant and ambitious group willing to go above and beyond to assist all students in the Art & Design Department.”
He encouraged the campus community to visit the Huber Art Center, calling the department’s students, faculty and facilities “one of the hidden gems on our campus.”
More updates on the department’s staffing and long-term plans are expected later this semester.
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