Our people at CLASS

Meet our people

CLASS offers a collaborative and welcoming community where internationally recognized faculty conduct innovative research and dedicated staff and student leaders drive change.

Our faculty members are not just educators — they are mentors and leaders in their fields and passionate about involving students in research, creative work and immersive learning experiences. Graduate students can pursue teaching assistant and research assistant positions, gaining invaluable professional experience and financial support.

Whether you’re an undergraduate student, a prospective graduate student or an alumnus reconnecting with your roots, we invite you to explore the incredible people who make CLASS a dynamic academic home. 

Meet the dean

Welcome! Thank you for visiting our website and exploring all the amazing programs that we offer. At CLASS, we strive to create opportunities for everyone to pursue a college education and work to build a great community for every student.

Our college in many ways constitutes the heart and soul of the university experience. It is the home of University of Idaho’s liberal arts, and it remains the largest college on our campus, with several thousand students, nine departments and schools and more than 40 degree programs. All our programs boast award-winning faculty who form lifelong mentorships with students and devoted staff who provide valuable support and ensure success. I’m honored to serve as the dean of such a robust and dynamic college.

I wanted to thank you, first, for being interested in University of Idaho. This university is one of the finest and most venerable public institutions in the American West. We hold to our land-grant mission to provide top-notch education to our citizens by employing stellar faculty and staff as well as offering superb degree programming. You will also find a friendly and nurturing environment here, both within the university and the local community. Moscow is the kind of place where children still walk to school or ride their bikes to sports practice or even keep paper routes. There are few communities like it.

I wanted to thank you, secondly, for being interested in the programs in our college. Your interest reveals two things: curiosity and courage. This is because our degree programs touch intimately on the human condition — what it means to think, create and act in the world. By choosing a liberal arts education, you are choosing the life of the mind. From here, our students go anywhere, whether by stepping directly into exciting professional careers in psychology, criminal justice, politics, performing arts or international relations, or embarking on larger academic journeys that will land them in any number of professions such as law, medicine, business or education.

I encourage our students to make the most of their time in college. In doing so, you will build memories and experiences that will last a lifetime and make your path richer and more fulfilling. What you study here at University of Idaho will prepare you for this adventure and help you create the future.

If you would like to join us as a student, we would love to hear from you. Contact us for more information at class@uidaho.edu. If you're an alumna or alumnus or an aficionado of our disciplines, this is a perfect time to deepen your connection. Email us and let us know where you are and what you're doing. Join us in building a brighter future for our college and our university.

All best wishes,

Sean Quinlan