Springfield College Names Katherine Dugan Director of Core Curriculum

Springfield College Assistant Professor of Religion Katherine Dugan has accepted the position of Director of the Core Curriculum at the College. Dugan will oversee the implementation of the new Core Curriculum at Springfield College starting during the 2020 fall semester.

As part of Dugan’s responsibilities, she will be responsible for providing clear communication methods with faculty, administrators, and students about the what and the why of the Springfield College Core Curriculum.

“One of the strengths of this Core is that, with strong implementation, nearly all faculty have to be involved with it, in some capacity,” said Dugan. “In order to facilitate that, I would provide wide-ranging communication that is thoughtful and consistent.”

Dugan went on to add, “I am confident that this curriculum can be a strong, well-respected part of what it means to graduate from our institution. The new Core Curriculum challenges students to think about perspectives they had not previously engaged and to step outside their major program. It is an opportunity for students to be creative and also self-directive in their college education. I am prepared and eager to participate in making that happen on campus."

Dugan joined the Springfield College humanities faculty in 2016 with a focus in American religions with a specialization in contemporary Catholicism in the United States. At Springfield College, Dugan teaches courses on world religions, religion in the United States, Catholicism, women and religion, and introductions to Christianity. Her research interests are in religious experience, women in religion, and the intersection of religious practice and American culture.

Her first monograph, Millennial Missionaries: How a Group of Young Catholics is Trying to Make Catholicism Cool was published by Oxford University Press in 2019. Her current research is on Catholics who practice Natural Family Planning in the U.S.

Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Approximately 4,100 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.