CHDCM Celebrates Its Inaugural Convocation Amidst Excitement and Hope

On Thursday, September 7 the new College of Human Development, Culture, and Media (CHDCM) marked a significant milestone with its inaugural convocation. With an atmosphere charged with anticipation and pride, students, faculty, staff and special guests came together to celebrate the launch of Seton Hall’s newest college.

After Associate Dean Omayra Arocho, Ph.D. kicked off the main program as M.C., the National Anthem was sung by graduate student Zane Cawthon, accompanied by sophomore Emmit Fitzgerald. Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., vice provost for academics and catholic identity, led the gathering in an invocation.

Interim Provost Erik Lillquist, J.D. shared insightful remarks on the creation of the new College from the former College of Communication and the Arts and the College of Education and Human Services. "We have created something that is greater than the two colleges themselves. I give a great deal of thanks to those individuals who worked hard over the past two years, but also have a great deal of excitement over what we have in front of us over the next decades to come,” he said.

In his welcome speech, CHDCM’s Founding Dean Bryan Crable, Ph.D. thanked the members of the audience who had worked so hard on the creation of the new College and providing him a strong foundation before his arrival last month. “This is a celebration of us — it would have been easy to keep the division between the ‘communication and the arts’ and the ‘education of human services’ even while administratively joining them. However, that is not the path that was chosen,” he said. “Now there is a single college — a group of faculty, staff and students uniting to forge a common future together. It’s certainly a more difficult endeavor, but it’s a more exciting endeavor, one with almost limitless potential for pedagogical innovation, intellectual ferment, and social engagement.”

He continued, “The College of Human Development, Culture, and Media is poised to truly have an impact – both on and beyond campus. Our college has the potential to establish itself as the intellectual and pedagogical leader at the national level: the place for cutting-edge, trans-disciplinary engagement with the ‘stickiest’ problems of our time. Gen Z is going to maybe save us all, and our college is poised to make that happen.”

Crable then introduced the premiere of the CHDCM video, which showcased the ethos of the college, its state-of-the-art facilities, and the vibrant academic community it aims to foster. Then, in a move that concluded the event on an energetic note, Dean Crable called on each department of the college to "represent," with students, faculty and alumni from each department standing up and being recognized with applause.

After the official proceedings, attendees were treated to a light lunch followed by ice cream and donut food trucks located in the Arts Center Area. The WSOU tent offered prizes to all students who stopped by to spin their prize wheel.