School of Arts and Social Sciences
ADMINISTRATORS
LENA HEGI WELCH, Associate Provost for Traditional Undergraduate Education and Dean, School of Arts and Social Sciences
AMANDA GRIEME BRADLEY, Chair, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
JOOLY PHILIP, Chair, Department of English
JEFFREY A. WELLS, Chair, Department of Communication Studies
School of Arts and Social Sciences General Information
The School of Arts and Social Sciences consists of the following academic units: The Department of Communication Studies, the Department of English, the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate Counseling, and the non-traditional undergraduate programs in Criminal Justice and Psychology. For more information on Graduate Counseling, non-traditional Psychology, and non-traditional Criminal Justice, please see the Graduate and Adult Studies Catalogs.
Students who graduate from the Department of Communication Studies, the Department of English, and the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences have both professional expertise and a liberal arts education. A liberal arts education has its origins in the Medieval University and is a philosophy of education that empowers learners with broad knowledge and transferable skills and a stronger sense of values, ethics, and civic commitment. Usually global and diverse in scope, it includes a general education curriculum that provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines in addition to in-depth study in at least one academic area. General Education courses are offered through all five of the academic departments. Courses leading to academic majors in many fields are also offered through the School of Arts and Social Sciences.
The School of Arts and Social Sciences is concerned with the humane dimensions of academic study. Course work offered in the School emphasizes imparting general knowledge as well as professional, vocational, or technical expertise. The School seeks to engender a broader understanding of life and faith facilitated by liberal arts in the context of the Christian faith. While students are prepared for graduate study or a career through instruction, the school’s first concern is an educated person prepared for leadership and service.