College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is celebrating the National Day on Writing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday on the Promenade. Faculty, students and staff are invited to participate in creative writing activities, including describing themselves in six-word autobiographies.

Mike “Big Dog” Abell entered GCU Arena for fall commencement, not with a graduation cap, but with his signature cowboy hat. Abell, a fixture at the University, earned his master’s degree in professional counseling — something that will help him in his work counseling visually impaired clients at Family Ministry Counseling and Psychotherapy Services. Abell, himself, is blind.

Graduates juggle raising children and balancing jobs with their studies. GCU Today talked to several graduates about the road to receiving their degrees during fall commencement Friday.

GCU’s Speech and Debate team began the academic year with excellent performances in the Aztec Invitational Tournament in San Diego over the weekend. The team ranked in the top eight out of 31 universities and colleges and hopes to do even better in its next event, in early November at Cal State Northridge.

Gianno Caldwell, a 2010 GCU graduate, was named this week to the post of political analyst for Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. Born on Chicago’s Southside, Caldwell cut his teeth in the school of hard knocks and thanks God for his opportunities.

GCU salutes the U.S. Constitution by honoring the 230th anniversary of its signing with a celebration and lessons incorporated into classes across the University. “It gives us an opportunity to focus on the principles and ideals of our Constitution in every setting,” said Dr. Sherman Elliott, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Dr. Larry Barron has been teaching psychology at GCU for 30 years, and it’s no laughing matter. Except that it is. He has written and presented a number of publications that analyze humor and created and taughta class on the psychology of humor for 24 years. He is deeply grateful for his role at GCU, and, in particular, has a heart for the students.

GCU’s Speech and Debate team will hit the tournament season running this year with 11 returnees and a new director, Michael Dvorak, who has coached GCU speech competitors for two years. Dvorak, a College of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty member, brings 10 years of expertise and a history of winning to GCU’s four-year-old team.

Welcome Week 2017 promises to be another busy and festive time for students as they return to campus. But it’s extremely important, too. “The week says to all, ‘You belong here,’” said Charity Norman, manager of GCU’s Student and Family Program.

Michael ‘‘Big Dog’’ Abell wasn’t always blind, but he started losing his sight at age 9 as the result of a firecracker accident. It took nearly three decades for him to lose his vision completely. Heeding a calling from God, Abell completed his master’s degree in Professional Counseling from GCU this month and now leads the “Visionaries” support group for the visually impaired.