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Mission & Vision Statement

Mission

To create globally knowledgeable citizens who question received opinion and value the transforming power of the imagination. Deeply engaged with the vibrant cultural life of the nation’s capital and of the state of Maryland, the College of Arts and Humanities creates and disseminates knowledge of human experience, thought, expression, and creativity to advance human welfare in all its dimensions. Through a defining commitment to vigorous intellectual debate in a diverse community and to the value of interdisciplinary approaches to major issues and ideas, the College educates global citizens who think creatively about the challenges of the 21st century. Its faculty members cultivate the transforming power of the imagination and lead their fields in ambitious, original research on topics from slavery to electronic literature to how the mind learns language. Its students, in close collaboration with faculty and staff, develop specialized knowledge in their chosen disciplines, rigorous critical thinking, clear and effective writing, the habits of life-long learning, sensitivity to ethical and aesthetic issues, and the ability to understand and interpret the cultures of the world. They pursue their chosen careers with distinction and become independent-minded, responsible citizens.

Vision

We envision a College that leads the campus and the capital region as the center for cross-disciplinary exchange and programming, and ranks as an acknowledged innovator in research and teaching in the Arts and Humanities. To achieve this end, the College will build upon its internationally recognized strengths in existing disciplines and interdisciplinary centers by:

  • Furthering widespread academic exchange, collaborative research, curricular innovation, and cross-disciplinary teaching and dialogue within the college, between colleges, with our alumni, and with cultural institutions of the greater Washington, D.C. area;
  • Nurturing emerging disciplines and the creation of new knowledge and artistic expression in response to a rapidly changing world;
  • Rethinking training for future scholars and artists to meet the needs of the 21st century, particularly the need for deep historical knowledge of diverse cultures at home and abroad and the need for effective use and new development of powerful technology for communication and creativity;
  • Expanding opportunities for all of our students to acquire a nuanced understanding of the world as a place of difference and diversity across time and cultures, including increasing the percentage of students who study abroad from 12% to 20% in five years, and developing the global focus of all curricula, so that at least 25% of all academic programs have definable elements of a global focus by 2012 and by 2018 at least 50%;
  • Leading the nation in innovative applications of digital technologies in teaching, learning, scholarship, and creative expression to open up new ways of studying the past, comprehending the present, and imagining the future;
  • Constructing a new arts and humanities center whose state-of-the art spaces, flexible configuration, and technological resources will initiate, promote, and sustain the core elements of this vision and will set the standard for vibrant cross-disciplinary intellectual communities.