BE WORLDWISE

The Arts & Humanities in the 21st Century

The stated mission of the College of Arts and Humanities is: “To create global citizens equipped to assess received opinion, make independent judgments, and value the transforming power of the imagination.” In our teaching, learning, research and service, we aim to understand the people, cultures and histories of our increasingly global society and to broaden our wisdom about how to live a meaningful, creative and generous life amidst the rich diversity of this world.  Simply put, our goal for the students, faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Humanities is to “BE WORLDWISE.”

This interactive site gathers together the College’s collective exploration of what it means to “Be Worldwise.” Here you will find the newly-published booklet, “BE WORLDWISE : A Guide to the Arts and Humanities in the 21st Century.” Written specifically for undergraduate students entering a major in ARHU, we hope it will also spark conversation among a broader community. Join the conversation by sharing your thoughts on the guide’s Facebook and/or Twitter sites (Use hashtag #beworldwise when sharing messages on Twitter).

Here, too, you will find details of the exciting line-up of events in the 2011-2012 Dean’s Lecture Series that includes Tony and Kennedy Center award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones, world-renowned linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky, and writer, producer, UM Alum and former Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon, who went on to create, write, and produce one of the most critically acclaimed television series in recent history - HBO's The Wire.

You will also find program notes, bios and video clips of the four “WORLDWISE” round-table discussions that in 2007 began a conversation about the value of the arts and humanities in a global era. Faculty and invited guests engaged in wide-ranging exploration of such issues as creativity; the intersection of the sciences, technology and the arts and humanities; what it means to be American in a global era; and how the arts and humanities engage one of the largest problems facing mankind today, energy. Past participants have returned in recent years to campus for more extended engagements with faculty, staff and students including Liz Lerman (choreographer) and Laurie Anderson (performer). And director Walter Dallas has joined the faculty as Senior Artist in Residence in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.

Please use this site. Send us your feedback and let us know what else you’d like to see here.