Christopher Schulte has been appointed associate dean for academic affairs at the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Schulte is a professor and endowed chair of art education in the School of Art and director of the Center for the Study of Childhood Art who joined the U of A in 2019. His previous roles include undergraduate coordinator and interim director of graduate studies in art education, associate director and interim director of the School of Art, where he has been a strong advocate for curricular innovation and student success.

In his new role as associate dean for academic affairs, Schulte serves Fulbright College by leading in the areas of assessment, accreditation, curricular innovation and international education. He works to ensure that college programs exceed accreditation and/or reputational benchmarks. Additionally, he oversees the student experience and student-related matters for the college to guarantee a high-quality student learning experience for all students and promote inclusive excellence.

His responsibilities also include collaborating and facilitating on new academic programs, certificates, minors, and majors; conducting biannual assessments of program viability; supporting existing academic programs and accreditation, including program assessment; managing enrollment, small classes, Global Campus, and study abroad; serving as liaison to the college's Honors program; and representing the college on the Undergraduate Council and the Strategic Enrollment Committee.

"After his incredible service to the School of Art during a time of great transition and growth for the school, it was a natural next step to ask Dr. Schulte to join the Dean's Office to benefit even more of our departments, schools, programs, centers, faculty, staff and students with his leadership expertise," said Brian E. Raines, dean of Fulbright College.

"Chris is a deliberative, thoughtful leader who is known for bringing out the best in the teams he works with, by encouraging all to set and strive for goals that help foster student success, provide greater access to education, and use research, discovery, and creative activity to improve the world around us," he added.

Schulte's research considers the artistic, play-based, and aesthetic practices of children, with particular attention given to drawing and its relationship to historical and contemporary childhoods.

At the U of A, he has taught courses on art curriculum and pedagogy, research methodologies, curriculum theory, and childhood art and culture. He is founder and director of the Center for the Study of Childhood Art (CSCA), a center for research, teaching and community engagement focused on reconceptualizing the study of childhood art. Through the CSCA, Schulte developed and now co-edits Childhood Art: An International Journal of Research, and oversees a range of other public-facing programs that center the arts in children's lives. He has authored, co-authored, and edited numerous books, journal articles, and book chapters. Schulte has also supervised and mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students in the college, as well as students at other universities.

In addition to his new duties, Schulte is an elected member of the Childhood, Law & Policy Network, the Council for Policy Studies in Art Education, and the Steering Committee of the Art Education Research Institute.

Schulte has played a key role in organizing and supporting art research and educational programming nationwide, as well as internationally, with a focus on the visual arts in childhood. At the U of A, he has led numerous professional development workshops for current and future early childhood and elementary educators, aimed at fostering high quality art instruction for children. 

Schulte holds a B.A. and M.A. in art education from the University of Northern Iowa and a Ph.D. in art education from The Pennsylvania State University.

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This story also appeared in the Fulbright REVIEW publication.