Technician staff writer Jessica Hall sat down with Jeffrey Braden, newly announced dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to discuss his goals and visions for CHASS.

Technician: How do you feel about receiving this job?

Braden: I am truly honored. People know who I am and know what I do and have still decided I’m the person they want to manage the college and it’s really both flattering and humbling at the same time.

Technician: When was the decision made?

Braden: It was announced at the University council meeting on Monday as a kind of ‘soft announcement’ but they had to wait for some paperwork to clear. So, the official word went out yesterday.

Technician: Were you expecting the job?

Braden: Well, no. There were three other terrific candidates all of whom had more experience than I did, so I knew the competition was excellent and, as I say, I am honored to have had the opportunity.

Technician: How did you celebrate?

Braden: One is tempted to make a biblical reference — ‘by sitting in sack cloth and ashes’ but, right, celebration is really more what is in line. My wife and my son and I went out and had a nice quiet dinner.

Technician: What are your short term goals?

Braden: The immediate plans haven’t really changed at all and that is how can I meet the obligations we have to cut our state appropriated funds and still offer instruction, still support research, and still support extension and engagement and do that in a way that minimizes the impact first and foremost on students and secondarily on faculty and our community whom we serve outside the University. That’s a challenge. That’s going to continue to be a big challenge and I have to say I have just been so impressed with how people in our college, students, faculty, and staff, have stepped up and recognized that these are not fun times and that things will get worse because of the funding challenges that State has. Having said all of that, that is obviously the biggest issue and the question is what can I eliminate that is great to have but not necessarily core, and what can I reduce, but still keep alive, so that when the money comes back we haven’t lost something that’s really valuable to the college and to the University. Those are struggles and those are the biggest challenges I face in the short term.

Technician: What are your long term goals?

Braden: In the long term, the challenges, I think, are wonderful, and that’s why I was interested in taking this job. As I said during my interview, I think this job, for the next couple of years, is going to be very hard, but as the economy begins to recover, this will probably be one of the best jobs in higher education in the country. North Carolina is wonderfully supportive of its universities, the University is supportive of CHASS, and we have a real opportunity to decide who we want to be when we grow up, or as we get bigger, and I think that is going to be just a terrific opportunity. So, I am not in agriculture but my sense is that you plan the spring planting during the winter; we are moving into an economic winter, we are definitely moving into a season where we are not going to be able to do a lot of new things, we are going to have to cut a lot of things, but that’s a good time for us to do strategic planning, so that when the funds start to come back, when the thaw comes, when we are ready to start planting in the spring, we know what it is we want to do and we plant wisely.

Technician: Where’s your favorite place to be?

Braden: It would sound like I was really sucking up if I said work, so, I really enjoy international travel  [in general].

Technician: Any other random facts people should know about you?

Braden: I have taught sign language to chimpanzees, at one time I was a certified sign language interpreter. I don’t continue to hold my certification, but I am fluent in American Sign Language. I like to cook. I enjoy cooking Asian and Italian cuisine, and shellfish. I make bread pretty regularly.

Technician: Any thoughts you want to share with students?

Braden: I know we have tough times ahead, but I really welcome [students] ideas and I have appreciated the support, but I particularly welcome their ideas and their insight as we try and make some of the tough decisions we have ahead of us.

Technician: What’s your favorite color?

Braden: “Of course, red.”