Walt Jacobs

I am the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at California State University East Bay. From July, 2015 to June, 2022 I was the Dean of the College of Social Sciences at San José State University. That appointment followed two years as the Founding Dean of the College of Social Sciences & Professional Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (July 2013-June 2015)

From July of 2007 through June of 2012 I was Chairperson of the Department of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota. I received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from Indiana University. My initial academic appointment was in the U of M General College.

I am an "open-door storyteller" who has authored a book on undergraduate media literacy and co-edited an anthology on educational environments. My current research explores personal and social possibilities of undergraduate students' generation of creative digital nonfiction; see "The Pedagogy of Digital Storytelling in the College Classroom" as an example. I am a member of the Board of Directors for StoryCenter [formerly known as the Center for Digital Storytelling], a founding organization in the global digital storytelling movement that uses innovative story development practices and participatory media methods to support people in sharing personal narratives rooted in their own life experiences.

I am very invested in higher education leadership mentoring activities. For six years I was on the Board of Directors for the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS), a professional organization for university deans. I was the Co-Director of the July 2015 CCAS Seminar for Department Chairs/Heads, and Director of the October 2015 CCAS Seminar for Department Chairs/Heads.

In May 2022 I became a Hudson Certified Life/Executive Coach.

For contact info, see my Blinq digital business card.