The mission of the College of Liberal Arts is to make a free people wise, by educating its students in the ways of freedom, and by providing a model for education at other universities. The heart of a democracy is that the people must judge. Through education in the humanities and social sciences, the College of Liberal Arts will give its students the power and confidence to judge well.
The College of Liberal Arts will provide all students with the best academic programs available for students in their majors. It seeks a diverse student body committed to intellectual excellence and a distinguished faculty dedicated to teaching. The College will graduate, in a timely manner, students who have the ability to think critically and independently and adapt to change.
In all its dealings with students, the College will be mindful of students' needs as individuals, in an atmosphere that fosters fellowship and understanding among students, faculty, and administration. The College is committed to providing support to students with special learning needs and challenges.
The College's central mission is to provide a good foundation in the humanities and social sciences to all its students, whether or not they are working towards pre-professional degrees. All students should know how to read critically, write cogently, and speak persuasively. All students should understand the basic methods of the sciences, and all should be conversant with mathematics.
In all courses and programs, the College will place emphasis on ethics, integrity, citizenship and awareness of global issues. Students will learn to assume personal responsibility for their actions, while they develop habits of self-reliance and a passion for lifelong learning. The College will transform students' lives by fostering creativity, willingness to take prudent risks, leadership, and service to community and nation.
Every one of our graduates is expected to:
- be able to express himself or herself clearly and correctly in writing
- be capable of reasoning effectively from hypotheses to conclusions and of logically analyzing the arguments of others
- have a critical appreciation for the social framework in which we live and the ways it has evolved through time
- have experience in thinking about moral and ethical problems
- have an understanding of some facets of science and the ways in which knowledge of the universe is gained and applied
- have an understanding of some aspects of mathematics and the application of quantitative skills to problem solving
- have gained familiarity with a second language
- have an appreciation for literature and the arts
- be sophisticated in the use of information technology assets