Jean Boreen

Dr. Jean Boreen is the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Southern Utah University. She is responsible for the oversight of the programs in anthropology, communication, criminal justice, English, languages, history, interdisciplinary studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, public administration, secondary education, and sociology. Dr. Boreen is a strong advocate for the humanities and social sciences and is dedicated to helping students understand why a degree from this college is an excellent foundation for their future.

She has over three decades of experience in administration and service at the university level, with past academic appointments including Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Letters, chair of the English Department, and coordinator of the English education program at Northern Arizona University.

As faculty in the English education program at Southern Utah University, Dr. Boreen teaches methods courses focused on the teaching of literature/young adult literature in the secondary classroom.

At NAU, she was instrumental in securing national recognition for the English Education program during NCATE/CAEP accreditation. Dr. Boreen’s scholarship has focused primarily on the mentoring of beginning teachers, both during the student teaching experience and in the first three years of teaching; she has extended that to mentoring new faculty to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has co-authored several books and articles on the topic of mentoring. Dr. Boreen also has a deep knowledge of young adult literature and has authored several articles on its use in secondary classrooms.

Dr. Boreen has been a leader in professional organizations at the state and national level related to the teaching of English/Language Arts; further, she obtained approximately $500,000 in funded grants in support of professional development for Arizona English teachers.