On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, our speaker was Dr. Shannon Miller, Dean of the College of Humanities and the Arts and Professor of English and Comparative Literature at San Jose State University.
San Jose State is an urban, comprehensive institution that serves 33,000 students. Dr. Miller sees San Jose State University as an engine for social mobility and for producing the next generation of engaged citizens, practicing humanities, and creators of the arts. The college serves 4,200 majors and 26,000 undergraduates through a wide range of courses in humanities and the visual, performing, and literary arts. She oversees 500 faculty and staff who work in eight academic departments, two schools, three centers, and one performing arts center. The college annual budget is $24M exclusive of benefits. The college sponsors more than 500 intellectual, cultural, and artistic events, performances, and exhibits annually.
Dr. Miller outlined a vast array of upcoming arts programs and performances.