Christopher Corley, Dean of Library and Learning, Graduate Faculty

I have served as Dean of Library & Learning since July 2019. I began my career at Minnesota State Mankato in 2004, as Assistant Professor of History with a focus on pre-modern European history. I was promoted to Professor of History in 2017.

Prior to being appointed Dean, I served in several leadership capacities at Minnesota State Mankato, including as Honors Program Director, History Graduate Program Coordinator, and History Department Chairperson. I have co-led university-wide committees, including the Assessment and Evaluation and Buildings and Landmarks Committees. In 2023, I completed the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians through the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree and doctorate in history from Purdue University. I am originally from Rhode Island and currently reside in North Mankato, Minnesota.

Representative Publications:

With Edward Gray. “Enabling Curiosity and Starting Careers: Honoring the Retirement of James R. Farr.” H-France Salon 15, no. 12 (2023): #1.
With Jessica Schomberg. “Asking the Right Questions: Accessibility and Library Study Rooms.” Journal of Library Administration 62, no. 4 (2022): 572-579.
“Tu peux compter sur moi”: The Formation of the Young Couple in Early Eighteenth-Century France.” The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth. 15, no. 1 (Spring 2022): 29-47.
“Errance et abandon: La recirculation des enfants pauvres de Dijon.” Revue d’histoire de l’enfance ‘irrégulière’ 20 (2018): 201-218.
“Les conflits provinciaux, l’expansion de l’État et la puissance paternelle dans la Bourgogne moderne.” Annales de Bourgogne 85 (2013): 85-99.
“From Mentoring to Collaborating: Fostering Undergraduate Research in History.” The History Teacher 46 (2013): 397-414.
With John Zubizarreta. “The Power and Utility of Reflective Learning Portfolios in Honors.” Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council 13, no. 1 (2012): 63-76.