College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Master of Social Work program at GCU achieved an important milestone by earning candidacy status toward accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education. Dr. Kathleen Downey, who led the effort, said it’s important for students currently in the program, who will be able to sit for licensing exams when accreditation is complete.

The Canyon Challenge will be on livestream only this semester because of the pandemic, but that isn’t the only noticeable change: For the first time, it will feature a high school competition. Also significant is the fact that two of the five GCU finalists are not business majors. It will be available for viewing at 4 p.m. Friday.

She was raised in Kenya, watching her missionary parents not only spread the Gospel but also help with the mental health issues of the population. That inspired Dr. Anna Edgeston to pursue a career in mental health care, and her passion became clear. After 18 months at GCU, she was named Program Director for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ counseling programs, a growing area in a time of crisis.

Dr. Tanisha Guy has been practicing 20 years, but the GCU Online Full Time Faculty member has never seen counselors and their clients so deeply affected by crisis at the same time. COVID-19 has done that. She will talk Wednesday about how the burgeoning demand for mental health care is being met with teletherapy in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Behavioral Health and Social Sciences Conference.

Adora Villanueva, an adjunct faculty member of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is working on her doctorate from GCU and did some interesting research on a very personal subject as an undergraduate. Find out how she used some Christmas-oriented images in a class assignment and how she’s passing on her impressive background in athletics.

What happens when a bunch of lawyers form a club? Sorry, there’s no punchline. The Pre-Law Society Club was launched last winter to help pre-law students connect and study for the difficult transition to law school. In its first meeting this semester, there were surprises on what they need to know, and it wasn’t a good lawyer joke.

Lacey Cox has been a social worker for 39 years, so she brings plenty of expertise to her adjunct faculty role in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. More than anything, it has taught her the value of “being open and willing to completely understand another person’s experience.” But it’s also interesting to note the career she originally sought and how she still satisfies that passion today.

Funny how being unable to attend classes in person for six months makes them that much more appealing. Whether they were returning to GCU or fresh out of high school, students were eager to resume the classroom experience this week. “It’s completely different being here as a student,” said one freshman. “It’s a big, amazing school, and there’s a completely different atmosphere than most colleges.”

Innovations and creativity are a hallmark of video games, and they also are central to the way Dr. Daniel Kaufmann of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences connects with his online students. Find out how he incorporates his Dr. Gameology persona into his teaching style and how students have reacted to it.

Christian Simmons starts in-person classes Monday with a lot of intense stories he can tell about his summer. He fought wildfires during one of the most intense fire seasons ever. The Government major and Students Inspiring Students scholarship recipient shares how one day in the Tonto National Forest the flames were too close for comfort.