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The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is the largest college at William Paterson University, and home to a diverse population of more than 3,000 students. Our programs provide insight into the past and explore solutions for the future, enabling our students to build their careers, pursue advanced academic studies, and empower positive change.
We offer a wide range of outstanding programs in the visual and performing arts, communication arts, and the humanities and social sciences. Students have the opportunity to work closely with a dedicated faculty of teacher-scholars including many Fulbright fellows and others of international prominence who bring real-world experience to the classroom. In our college there are extensive opportunities for artistic creation, performance, scholarship, study abroad, and hands-on learning as a part of your academic experience.
Our internship program is designed to provide career experience that helps you connect your current educational program to your future as a successful professional. Students also benefit from state-of-the-art resources ranging from HD television broadcast studios, animation and game design labs to recording studios and a social media lab, among others. They can also participate in college conferences, academic clubs, and honor societies.
We are home to a number of signature experiences that make us unique in New Jersey and to students around the nation and world, including our internationally renowned—jazz studies program and our award-winning campus radio station, 88.7 WPSC/Brave New Radio (named “College Radio Station of the Year” by the National Association of Broadcasters).
Dean, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
EMAIL: davisw@wpunj.edu
PHONE: 973-720-2731
OFFICE: Atrium 260
Associate Dean, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
EMAIL: razzorel@wpunj.edu
PHONE: 973-720-3282
EMAIL: hilld@wpunj.edu
PHONE: 973-720-3036
For many parents, bedtime stories are a comforting routine and an opportunity to build early literacy skills. But according to new research by William Paterson University philosophy professor Laura T. Di Summa, reading picture books with young children is also a shared aesthetic experience—one that shapes how children first encounter stories, images, and imagination.
In a new paper published in the British Journal of Aesthetics, Di Summa explores the philosophical significance of reading picture books with young children. Her article, “Who’s Reading? On Children’s Aesthetics and Parenting,” examines how shared reading introduces children to artistic expression while also reshaping how parents experience stories alongside them.
While the benefits of reading to children – from vocabulary development to early literacy –are widely recognized, Di Summa argues that the activity also has a deeper philosophical dimension. Reading together invites children into their earliest encounters with aesthetic experience: images, sounds, narrative voices, and imagination.
Reading with, not simply to, children
Di Summa suggests that reading with young children differs fundamentally from the way adults typically read books. Instead of a quiet, solitary activity, reading aloud becomes interactive and unpredictable. Parents change their voices for different characters, repeat favorite passages, and pause frequently as children ask questions or focus on unexpected details in the illustrations.
Children, she notes, do not always approach books as linear narratives moving from beginning to end. Instead, they often treat a book as a rich world of images and voices to explore.
As Di Summa describes in the paper, a child may interrupt the reading of a story to ask about a seemingly minor detail: “My toddler stops me to ask me what a little butterfly in the bottom right corner of the page (largely insignificant to the story) has to say.”
Moments like these reveal that children are not simply listening to a story but actively exploring the imaginative world of the book. Their attention may shift between characters, illustrations, sounds, and questions about what is happening on the page.
Picture books therefore play an important role in children’s earliest encounters with artistic expression. Through illustrations, color, rhythm, and narrative voice, children begin engaging with ideas about representation, imagination, and meaning: questions that lie at the heart of philosophical discussions about art and aesthetics.
Learning from children’s curiosity
Di Summa also argues that these shared reading moments can reshape the experience for adults. Because children respond to books in unexpected ways –focusing on small details, inventing interpretations, or asking surprising questions – reading together can become a process of discovery for parents as well.
Rather than simply teaching children how stories work, parents may find themselves learning how their child sees the world: what captures their attention, what makes them laugh, and what sparks their curiosity.
By entering a story together – pausing, performing, and wondering about what appears on the page – parents and children participate in a shared aesthetic experience that shapes how both come to understand stories, art, and imagination.
Ultimately, over time, these moments of shared exploration transcend understanding about philosophy and the world; they help deepen the emotional connection between parent and child, and their understanding of one another. As Di Summa writes, “Reading together can, in this sense, be viewed as an essential conduit for parental love.”
The Center for Chinese Art at William Paterson University is dedicated to preserving and sharing the artistic heritage of China and integrating its rich tradition into the University's curriculum. Students will not only have the opportunity to view Chinese art, but draw upon its philosophy and incorporate its techniques in order to participate effectively in the increasingly global world of visual arts.
Combining coursework dedicated to the rigorous investigation of art with a broad spectrum of the most current tools and technology yields artworks that push the limits of the imagination. The activities and technology at the Center for New Art support and supplement the Art Department curriculum while also extending to other departments within the University.
"At William Paterson, I had the opportunity to get research experiences during my undergraduate studies, and that's kind of rare. I also have amazing professors who push you because they want you to be successful. They really want to help--they're not just leaving you out there alone. I really like that and feel supported here."
Sidal Yurt Earned her BA in psychology at WP in 2023 and continuing for her MA and PsyD in clinical psychology International Student from Turkey
"William Paterson was such a great force and inspiration to finding what I want to do in life. It's opened so many doors for me and allowed me to see my potential. Now that I see it, I'm going to run with it."
Justyn Chapman Double Major in Popular Music Studies and Public Relations | Class of 2023
"The resources here are top notch. William Paterson has hidden gems throughout the campus and the classrooms—resources that can really help a person grow and develop, not just in academics but also in their professional life."
Hosanna Nitro Communication/ Public Relations Major | Class of 2023
"The professors here have pushed me to grow as an individual. They encouraged me to take part in class discussions and debates, helping me go from shy and reserved to someone who speaks up and is willing to challenge herself. As a result, I was able to take part in a prestigious internship for a U.S. Congresswoman, where I recruited volunteers, participated in voter turnout events, and learned a great deal about re-election campaigns. I cannot thank my professors enough."
Dhruvisha Patel Political science, litigation paralegal at DiFrancesco, Bateman, Kunzman, Davis, Lehrer & Flaum, PC | Class of 2023
