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College of Liberal and Social Sciences
College of Liberal and Social Sciences
College of Liberal and Social Sciences
ABOUT THE COLLEGE
The University of Guam granted its first Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 from what was then the School of Arts at the Territorial College of Guam. At that time, academic disciplines providing the core of General Education courses were grouped in departments. They were later combined into divisions when the Territorial College of Guam became a four-year institution. The school was renamed the College of Arts and Sciences in 1973 before becoming the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) in 2003.
The college includes those academic disciplines traditionally known as the liberal arts. The phrase “liberal arts” is a translation of the Latin artes liberales and pertains to “those arts appropriate to a free person.” This is the definition and the orientation of the liberal arts at the University of Guam.
The college provides more than half of the General Education courses required by all of the University’s baccalaureate programs. Through its four divisions, the college offers 10 major programs, 17 minor programs, three master’s programs, and courses that fulfill professional preparation requirements of other institutions of higher education.
The college has a long tradition of sponsoring or co-sponsoring major conferences on important academic, intellectual, educational, community, and public policy issues. Examples include the CLASS Annual Research Conference, the Regional Language Arts Conference, the CLASS Colloquium Series, the University of Guam Film Festival, and various programs and student events.
The CLASS buildings house modern classrooms and office spaces as well as instructional laboratories for English, indigenous, and international languages, broadcast and print journalism, anthropology, geography, and psychology. The Fine Arts Building has two-and three-dimensional visual arts studios, music studios, a theater workshop, and a theater production facility.
ACADEMIC MISSION
The major mission of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is instructional delivery in a variety of disciplines. The key aim of the college is to provide students with a broad and interconnected education in the arts, humanities, language, literature, and the social and behavioral sciences.
The college actively contributes to the development of skills, knowledge, and values necessary for the continuing educational, professional, and economic advancement of the individual student, Guam, and the Micronesian region. This includes advancement of regional knowledge; all aspects of social and economic development; the understanding of diverse regional cultural traditions; the resolution of the social, environmental, health, and physical problems that face the Western Pacific region; and contributing to the mastery of qualitative and scientific content knowledge and methodology. Achievement in these domains is known to enable students to be admitted to and to succeed in advanced educational opportunities and rewarding careers.
Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences carry out the institutional missions of research and service to the University and the region in a variety of disciplines and programs. These activities lead to original discovery and creative work contributing to the world’s knowledge of Guam and the Micronesian region and permit the inclusion of relevant, cutting-edge, regional material in the college’s classroom instruction. In addition to contributing to the advancement of regional knowledge, this work allows students to be exposed to modern research methods, basic and applied, that contribute to critical thinking skills, and academic understanding and growth. For those students who wish to seek graduate degrees, undergraduate research training, and experience, the college prepare them to compete effectively for graduate school admission and for success once accepted.
DIVISIONS
- Division of Communication, Media, and Fine Arts
- Division of English and Applied Linguistics
- Division of Humanities
- Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Division offices are important centers of information for students in regard to their academic programs; contact with faculty members; registration; advisement; problem-solving; information on student clubs; opportunities for internships, scholarships, and special summer activities; and other student-related activities.
DEGREE PROGRAMS
BACHELOR'S DEGREES
- Anthropology
- CHamoru Studies
- Communication & Media
- Communication Studies
- Public Relations
- Digital Cinema, Media, & Journalism
- English
- Literature
- Linguistics/ESL
- English for Education
- Fine Arts
- Art
- Music
- Theater
- History
- History
- History for Education
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Political Science
- Government for Education
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gender & Family Studies
- Social Problems Studies
- Development Studies
MINORS
- Anthropology
- CHamoru Studies
- Communication & Media
- English
- General
- Writing
- Fine Arts
- Art
- Music
- Theater
- Geography
- History
- Japanese Language
- Philosophy
- Philosophy
- Ethics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Women & Gender Studies
CERTIFICATES
- CHamoru Studies
- Ethics
- International Relations
- Island Wisdom: Foundation in Micronesian Seafaring
- Politics of Asia-Pacific
- Women & Gender Studies
MASTER'S DEGREES
- Master of Arts in English
- Master of Arts in Micronesian Studies
- Master of Science in Clinical Psychology
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
ADMISSION AND OTHER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
A student who plans to enroll in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences should be familiar with the general requirements and procedures regarding admission to the University (see the Academic Rules and Regulations). Every student should obtain an academic advisor to assist in learning and complying with these requirements.
ADVISEMENT & DECLARATION
See the Academic Advisement section.
ADMINISTRATION
Dean / Professor of Philosophy and Micronesian Studies
Office Location: Humanities & Social Sciences Bldg., 3rd Floor, Dean’s OfficeExpertise
ABOUT
James D. Sellmann was born and raised in the city of Niagara Falls, N.Y. He was awarded bachelor's degrees in psychology and philosophy from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and master's degrees in Asian religions and comparative philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was awarded a doctorate in Chinese philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has published more than 60 articles in various peer-reviewed books and journals, such as "Asian Philosophy" and "Philosophy East and West." His book "Timing and Rulership in Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals," was published by State University of New York Press in 2002. He is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Professor of Philosophy and Micronesian Studies at the University of Guam. He enjoys cooking and hiking.
CREDENTIALS
- B.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- B.A., Philosophy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- M.A., Chinese Religions, University of Hawaii at Manoa
- M.A., Comparative Philosophy, University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Ph.D., Chinese Philosophy, University of Hawaii at Manoa
RESEARCH
Associate Dean, CLASS / Associate Professor of Political Science, Micronesian Studies, and CHamoru Studies / I Meyeng UOG-Certified Online Teacher
Office Location: Humanities & Social Sciences Bldg., 3rd Floor, Dean's OfficeCREDENTIALS
- B.A., Political Science and Communication, University of Guam
- M.A., Political Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Ph.D., Political Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa
DIVISION CHAIRS
Communication, Media & Fine Arts
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Office Location: EC 213BABOUT
Manuel Cruz has returned to his alma mater at the University of Guam as an instructor of communications and media within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. He has previously been a reporter for multiple news agencies in Guam and has experience as a policy analyst for the Guam Legislature. He holds a master’s in English and a bachelor’s in communication studies, both from the University of Guam. He recently submitted his doctoral thesis, “An(i)ti: An Examination of Settler Discourse and Politics in Guåhan,” in the communication studies program at Auckland University of Technology.
CREDENTIALS
- Ph.D. Candidate, Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology
- M.A., English, University of Guam
- B.A., Communication Studies, University of Guam
English & Applied Linguistics
Associate Professor of English Composition and Rhetoric
Office Location: EC 215CREDENTIALS
- B.A., English and Criminal Justice, University of Guam
- M.Ed., Language and Literacy, University of Guam
- Ph.D., Composition and TESOL, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Humanities
Associate Professor of History
Office Location: HSS 312CREDENTIALS
- B.A., History, University of Hawaii at Manoa
- M.A., Micronesian Studies, University of Guam
- Ph.D., History, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Clinical Psychology and Micronesian Studies
Office Location: HSS 219ECREDENTIALS
- B.A., Psychology, University of Winnipeg (Canada)
- M.A., Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Windsor (Canada)
ADDITIONAL FACULTY
Assistant Professor of Geography
Office Location: HSS 209
CREDENTIALS
- B.S., Biology, University of the Philippines
- M.S., Remote Sensing, University of the Philippines
- Ph.D., Remote Sensing, Chiba University (Japan)
ABOUT
Jose Edgardo L. Aban is a seasoned research and project manager and an advocate of satellite remote sensing education. He served for almost two decades at the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines and has taught as a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography, Development, and Environmental Studies at the Universiti of Brunei Darussalam, where he was instrumental in the establishment of an image processing laboratory.
Dr. Aban teaches GE-480/580 Introduction to Remote Sensing during spring session and GE-480/580 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems during fall session. He also handles Introduction to Geography, and a host of Geography subjects such as GE-201 World Regional Geography, GE-203 Physical Geography, as well as GE-321 Economic Geography.
Prior to joining UOG, Aban served as a technical consultant at the Asian Development Bank, as project manager of the GIS-based project dubbed “Communication and Information Systems for the Control of Avian Influenza” of the ASEAN Foundation, and as a consultant of a mapping unit of an agricultural company in Indonesia.
Dr. Aban is also an avid amateur astronomer. During his youthful years, he built a Dobsonian telescope on a shoestring budget. He was a long-time member of the Philippine Astronomical Society (PAS), and a delegate/observer to a number of rare astronomical events in the Philippines, including the 1986 Comet Halleywatch and the 1988 Total Solar Eclipse, to name a few.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- land use/cover change analysis
- global change analysis
- ecosystems change research
- applications of non-parametric methods for global change analysis and modeling (power and singular spectrum analysis of multi-temporal datasets) using satellite data (e.g. normalized difference vegetation index - NDVI) and climatic data
- development of pre-processing algorithms for noise reduction in satellite images
- phenological change analysis and its relationship with changes in floral and faunal populations
- climate change impacts (sea-level rise scenarios) modeling with the use of digital elevation modeling, climatic oscillations (e.g. ENSO, PDO), drones, among others.
Associate Professor of Sociology, Micronesian Studies, and Women & Gender Studies
Office Location: HSS 220DCREDENTIALS
- B.A., Sociology, University of Victoria (Canada)
- BFA, New York University
- M.A., Sociology, University of Victoria (Canada)
- Ph.D., Sociology, National University of Singapore
Associate Professor of Sociology and Micronesian Studies
Office Location: HSS, 2nd Floor (Division Office)CREDENTIALS
- B.S., Sociology, Portland State University (Ore.)
- M.S., Sociology, Portland State University (Ore.)
- Ph.D., Sociology and Anthropology, Simon Fraser University (Canada)
Professor of Communication
Office Location: EC 213D ABOUT
Dr. Raymond Anderson joins the University of Guam as Associate Professor of Mass Media in the Communication department. Raymond was born and grew up on another island, the island of Jamaica, far away in the Caribbean. For the past 17 years he has lived with his family on mainland USA and he is looking forward to revisiting island life, but now on Guam.
Raymond has a diverse background with working experiences in marine sciences, business, communication, film and media arts. His love of the dramatic arts and helping Christian theater ministries led him to switch directions from his day job of managing Jamaica’s largest fish farming operation to completing a PhD in Communication and Media Effects at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He went on to teach at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. At George Fox, Raymond was instrumental in helping the Cinema and Media Communication major grow significantly into the vibrant program that now exists.
Raymond spent four years at Sterling College in Kansas where he developed yet another media program that included various concentrations including Cinema Production, Public Relations and Multi-Media.
He is an avid swimmer and snorkeler and would like to get back into SCUBA diving.
CREDENTIALS
- B.S., Natural Sciences – Marine Science, University of West Indies (Jamaica)
- MBA, General Management, Nova Southeastern University (Fla.)
- Ph.D., Communication Arts – Media Effects, Regent University (Va.)
Professor of Anthropology and Micronesian Studies
Office Location: HSS 120CExpertise
Tel: (671) 735-2802
Fax: (671) 734-7930
uog.academia.edu/DavidAtienza
ABOUT
David Atienza received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Complutense University of Madrid in 2006 and relocated to Guam the same year, where he currently resides. With a history, philosophy, anthropology, and applied linguistics background, Dr. Atienza has taught at various institutions in Spain and Guam. His research focuses on cultural identity processes and historical anthropology, particularly in the Mariana Islands, and he has several publications, some co-authored with Dr. Alexander Coello de la Rosa. He holds the position of professor of Anthropology at the University of Guam.
CREDENTIALS
- B.A., History, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- M.A., Applied Linguistics, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija (Spain)
- Ph.D., Anthropology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Associate Professor of Psychology / I Meyeng UOG-Certified Online Teacher
Office Location: HSS 219DABOUT
Marshaley J. Baquiano is a licensed psychologist and a certified specialist in social psychology in the Philippines. She was a Fulbright Research Fellow and in 2017 received the UP Scientist Award from the University of the Philippines. She obtained her doctorate degree in psychology from the Ateneo De Manila University (Philippines). Her research interests and publications lean on investigating social issues using social psychological lens, intergroup conflicts, intergroup negotiations, as well as mental health and psychosocial support. She is the executive editor of Philippine Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities and an associate editor of Philippine Journal of Psychology.
CREDENTIALS
- Ph.D., Psychology, Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
- M.A., Education, University of Southeastern Philippines
- B.S., Psychology, Silliman University (Philippines)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Poverty
- Climate change
- Corruption
- Intergroup conflicts
- Intergroup negotiations
- Mental health
- Psychosocial support
Instructor of Critical Thinking and Logic / I Meyeng UOG-Certified Online Teacher
Office Location: EC 118EExpertise
CREDENTIALS
- B.A., English, Shaoguan University (China)
- M.A., Logic, South China Normal University
Professor of Music
Office Location: EC 117ICREDENTIALS
- B.M., Clarinet Performance, New England Conservatory (Mass.)
- M.M., Conducting, University of South Carolina
- DMA, Conducting, University of South Carolina
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Office Location: HSS 216BCREDENTIALS
Ph.D., Psychology, Ateneo De Manila University (2022)
M.A., Applied Social Psychology, Ateneo De Manila University (2015)
B.S., Psychology, Ateneo De Manila University (2013)
Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of CHamoru Studies
Office Location: HSS 120IABOUT
Dr. Kisha Borja-Quichocho-Calvo joins the university as an assistant professor of CHamoru studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Division of Humanities. She has taught various courses at UOG since 2010 and recently earned her doctorate in political science with a specialization in indigenous politics from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
CREDENTIALS
- Ph.D., Political Science - Indigenous Politics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
- M.A., Pacific Island Studies, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
- MAT, University of Guam
- B.A., English, Hawai'i Pacific University
PUBLICATIONS
Her poetry was published in 2019 in “Effigies III” (edited by Allison Hedge Coke, Brandy Nālani McDougall, and Craig Santos Perez), which featured chapbook-length poetry from four Indigenous poets from Oceania.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Indigenous education in Guåhan
- CHamoru culture and identity
Associate Professor of Sociology, Micronesian Studies, and Women & Gender Studies / I Meyeng UOG-Certified Online Teacher
Office Location: HSS 219CABOUT
Dr. Debra T. Cabrera most recently taught at St. John’s School in Upper Tumon, Guam while she served as adjunct faculty for sociology at the University of Guam. Prior to St. John’s School, Dr. Cabrera was a social science instructor then dean of Academic Programs and Services at the Northern Marianas College in the Northern Marina Islands. She has been active in local, regional, and national organizations, namely the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities, President Obama’s White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Humanities Guåhan, and the Scientific and Statistical Committee for the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. Her current research interests focus on neighborhood crime, juvenile delinquency in the Marianas, and environmental deviance.
CREDENTIALS
- B.A., Sociology, Washington State University
- M.A., Sociology, Ohio University
- Ph.D., Sociology, University of Kentucky
Instructor of English
Office Location: EC 118DCREDENTIALS
- B.A., University of Guam
- M.A., University of Guam
Professor of Art
Office Location: Fine Arts 202ACREDENTIALS
- A.S., Specialized Technology in Visual Communication, Art Institute of Pittsburgh
- BFA, University of Pennsylvania
- MFA, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Instructor of English
Office Location: EC 208ACREDENTIALS
- B.A., Communications – Writing, Assumption College (Mass.)
- M.Ed., Reading, University of Guam
Professor of English and CHamoru Studies
Office Location: EC 213ECREDENTIALS
- B.A., English, Walla Walla College (Wash.)
- M.A., English, Andrews University (Mich.)
- Ph.D., English, University of Michigan
Assistant Instructor of CHamoru Studies
Office Location: HSS 314CREDENTIALS
- B.A., Political Science, Unibetsedåt Guåhan
- B.A., CHamoru Studies, Unibetsedåt Guåhan
Instructor of CHamoru Studies
Office Location: HSS 120-JCREDENTIALS
- BAE, CHamoru Language and Culture Teaching, University of Guam
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Office Location: HSS 120FABOUT
Brett A. Fulkerson-Smith, Ph.D., specializes in the history of philosophy with an emphasis on German idealism.His primary research focuses on the philosophical methodologies of Immanuel Kant and J.G. Fichte — and the role of the imagination therein — and can be found in book chapters and scholarly journals like "Kantian Review," "Bulletin of the Hegel Society of Great Britain," "Epoché: A Journal for the History of Philosophy," and "Society and Politics."
He also contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning, having presented on the transformation of physical learning environments in colleges and universities to facilitate deep learning among students, the use of argument maps in college classes, the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, and the Philosophy with Children (PwC) movement.
Before coming to the University of Guam, Dr. Fulkerson-Smith was Professor of Philosophy at Harper College, just outside of Chicago, where he served as a faculty member for more than 10 years.
CREDENTIALS
- Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Kentucky
- M.A., Philosophy, Boston College (Mass.)
- B.A., Philosophy, John Carroll University (Ohio)
Professor of English
Office Location: EC 216DCREDENTIALS
- B.A., English, University of Texas at Austin
- M.A., English/TESOL, Western Kentucky University
- Ph.D., English, Northern Illinois University
Schreiner S. Christopher
Office Location: Expertise
Simpson-Warner D. Carol
Office Location: Expertise
Broken URL: https://www.uog.edu/directory/soler-alejandro-chris.php
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Students have opportunities for involvement in a wide variety of organizations that are sponsored by the academic disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Some divisions sponsor college- wide activities, such as band, choir, or the newspaper. Many of the major programs in the college, working with faculty advisors, have student organizations or honorary societies, such as those below. Many CLASS students are also active in the Student Government Association.
| Communication, Media & Fine Arts | Faculty Advisor |
|---|---|
|
UOG Communication Society |
Dr. Raymond Anderson |
|
Lambda Pi Eta: Alpha Beta Eta Communication Honor Society |
Dr. Francis Dalisay |
|
Society of Fine Arts (SOFA) |
Dr. Troy McVey |
|
Alpha Psi Omega: Sigma Upsilon National Theater Honor Society |
Dr. Troy McVey |
|
UOG Latte Tones Choir |
Dr. Ron McNinch |
|
Mangilao Hot Jazz |
Dr. Stephen Bednarzyk |
|
Visual Arts Society |
|
| English & Applied Linguistics | Faculty Advisor |
|---|---|
|
The English Society |
Dr. Christopher Garcia-Santos |
|
Sigma Tau Delta: International English Honor Society - Alpha Zeta Xi Chapter |
Dr. David Gugin |
|
Linguistics & Language Appreciation Society (LALAS) |
Dr. Hyun-jong Hahm |
| Humanities | Faculty Advisor |
|---|---|
|
Anthro Tribe |
Dr. David Atienza |
|
Mañelon Marianas |
Dr. Kisha Borja-Quichocho-Calvo |
|
Marianas History Club |
Dr. Christopher Rasmussen |
|
UOG Philosophy Club |
Dr. Brett Fulkerson-Smith |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | Faculty Advisor |
|---|---|
|
Sociology Club |
Dr. Angeline Ames |
|
Political Science Student Association |
Natasha Suba |
|
Pi Sigma Alpha - National Political Science Honor Society |
Dr. Arun Swamy |
|
Psychology Club |
Dr. Camarin Meno |
|
Psi Chi - International Honor Society in Psychology |
Dr. Yoshito Kawabata |
|
UOG Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America |
Dr. Arun Swamy Kate Yusi |