THE
COLLEGE of Liberal Arts
“OUR VISION IS TO TRANSFORM THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS INTO A DESTINATION COLLEGE.”
John Coleman, Dean, The College of Liberal Arts
SHATTERING EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT A LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE CAN BE.
WE’RE REIMAGINING A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION. Students investigate through study and service the causes and solutions to our most pressing issues, like closing the opportunity gap, building vibrant communities, addressing climate change, and protecting human rights. Through curricular innovations, research excellence, and community-engaged scholarship, we’re reimagining the liberal arts experience.
Vanessa Nyarko could be called the “Queen of Internships.” Throughout her years in CLA Vanessa has used internships to explore both her majors and potential careers. Vanessa’s first internship was with a news organization. But then a history class got her wondering, “could I get a job in this?” That led to interning as a diversity liaison with the Minnesota History Center. And that led to an interest in community relations, which led to an internship with Congressman Keith Ellison. z.umn.edu/nyarko
DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT HIT THEM.
“In the current debates about immigration, there are a lot of people talking about immigrants but very few opportunities for immigrants and refugees to tell their own stories,” says Erika Lee, director of the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC). That’s why she created The Immigrant Stories project to help recent immigrants and refugees document their experiences. The IHRC is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary research center and archives devoted to preserving and understanding immigrant and refugee life in North America. cla.umn.edu/ihrc
WE’RE SHAPING NEW FIELDS OF INQUIRY. Through robust in-house grant programs, dedicated physical spaces, and incentives to collaborate across disciplines, faculty in the College have experiences unique to Minnesota. Here, the exchange of ideas across disciplines is not just encouraged but commonplace. The College is also where new scholars emerge. Graduate students navigate the space between scholarship and innovation, both mastering and expanding traditional fields of inquiry.
LAND OF 10,000 PERSPECTIVES.
WE’RE BUILDING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY. The College is working persistently to counteract inequity and injustice. We’re increasing enrollment of underrepresented students, infusing faculty of color across all disciplines, and dedicating space for the expression and exploration of diverse perspectives. We’re strengthening support for under-resourced students, especially those who are the first in their families to attend college. In addition, we’ve activated our 150,000 member alumni network to provide students with mentorship opportunities, opening doors to important life-long connections. By investing in people and their promise—regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, or identities—we’re building a more dynamic, inclusive community.
The Department of American Indian Studies, established in 1969, is the first program of its kind. Students receive training in contemporary Native literary and artistic expression, legal and political issues, and historical experiences. The department is home to the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary, a collaboration between faculty, students, and Ojibwe elders. The online dictionary is searchable and preserves for all time the voices of Ojibwe speakers. ojibwe.lib.umn.edu
SOCIETY’S BIGGEST CHALLENGES. TACKLED DAILY.
The Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science (CATSS) is harnessing the University of Minnesota’s worldleading scientific expertise to tackle the problems faced by millions of people with sensory deficits, such as low vision or hearing loss. With our aging population, sensory deficits that cut people off from their social and physical environment will have an increasingly devastating impact at both the individual and societal levels. By joining forces with the Twin Cities medical devices industry, CATSS will maximize quality of life for those with auditory and visual loss. catss.umn.edu
WE’RE ENGAGING WITH THE GRAND CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME. The College’s curriculum has adapted to serve the interests of our students and the needs of our communities. Through Grand Challenges courses and communityengaged scholarship, students and faculty are working together to discover new ways of addressing society’s toughest issues.
WE ARE ON A PATH TO BECOMING THE TOP PUBLIC LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IN THE COUNTRY AS WE REDEFINE THE LASTING IMPACT OF A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION.
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