College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

CLAS Spotlight

Jason Janke Ph.D., will serve as interim dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Janke has served as associate dean since 2016 and concurrently was a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. He first joined Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2006 as an assistant professor, prior to which he was an assistant professor of geography and geology at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Read Dr. Janke's Fall 2020 Message from the CLAS Dean below:

Dear CLAS Students, 

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on making it through the midpoint of the semester.  When I came to MSU Denver in 2006 as an Assistant Professor, I was impressed with how students balanced their lives - family, work, education, and many other things.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, your Roadrunner determination has become even more apparent.  I am truly amazed by your resolve and am reminded daily of your accomplishments.  It makes a Dean proud!

As the largest College at MSU Denver, we aim to advance the arts, sciences, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities by developing crucial lifelong skills through multifaceted approaches to problem-solving.  This is the foundation for student success.  We know liberal arts programs have become increasingly vulnerable nationwide as universities shift toward offering more professional or technical degrees, but it is my goal as the CLAS Interim Dean to continue to advocate and promote our programs and the values and skills they produce.  In times of crisis and budget constraints, this remains of the utmost importance to both myself and the dedicated faculty who are guiding you through your education and engaging you in deliberative dialogues, undergraduate research, and experiential learning.  Please read more on this support in the recently published resolution from the MSU Denver Faculty Senate on Supporting a Liberal Arts and Sciences Education.

In addition to supporting a liberal arts and sciences education, it is my goal to make CLAS a place where you can find a sense of belonging and build a collective identity.  We want CLAS to be a place you can call home.  In these unprecedented times, connecting with your classmates, faculty, and campus staff, creating a community, and leaning on each other when times are difficult is essential.  We can do this by committing ourselves to inclusion, racial equity, and social justice, providing space for culturally relevant teaching, and working to ensure representational diversity among the CLAS faculty.  I will continue to stand in solidarity with communities of color, show my support, challenge the status quo, and bring change to inequities.  Feel free to read more on the MSU Denver Faculty Senate commitment to this cause in the recently published Resolution on Ensuring a Diverse Faculty at MSU Denver. 

At CLAS, we remain dedicated to MSU Denver’s mission by offering a broad-based curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences.  CLAS transforms lives and communities through the power of ideas, inspiration, and discovery.  We are committed to your success through academic excellence, civic engagement and community responsibility, and offer adaptive, flexible pathways so that you can successfully pursue your personal and professional goals.  We are here to support you.

In closing, I am excited to announce three initiatives that will help us communicate better with you, provide a safe space to connect with us, and transform the CLAS legacy.

The Rowdy Report (the official newsletter of MSU Denver CLAS)

This publication is sent to all CLAS faculty, staff and students and provides information on the latest College and MSU Denver happenings. Our first issue is attached or view it here! We will continue to share uplifting CLAS stories, faculty/student spotlight, kudos, important deadlines and reminders, and much more!

CLAS Student Accomplishments

Please tell us your story!  Use this submission form to tell us about your Roadrunner journey, faculty or staff that have gone above and beyond, or a topic you’d like to include in the Rowdy Report.

 CLAS Student Events

The CLAS Dean’s Office will be bringing occasional fun and educational events to you soon. Do not miss out on our Virtual Scavenger Hunt launching November 12! Put on your detective hat and get ready to investigate all that is CLAS!

Thank you for reading.  I look forward to connecting with you soon. Best wishes on the remainder of your semester and if you should ever need me, please feel free to reach out.

Jason Janke, Ph.D.

Interim Dean

College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Environmental Science

Metropolitan State University of Denver