College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Mission Statement

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences fosters and advances excellent teaching, important and significant research, and public service within the state of Kansas and beyond. The liberal arts and sciences include a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural and mathematical sciences. The College strives to provide an educational experience that addresses the many ways in which these disciplines help us understand the world. At the core of a liberal arts education are research and informed engagement with global issues, multiculturalism, and diverse experiences; these goals represent our greatest hope for a better understanding of differences in the human condition and the potential for enhanced tolerance. Given that multiple perspectives lie at the core of a liberal arts education, the College strives to attract a community of students, faculty, and staff from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and we are committed to the full participation of previously excluded or neglected groups of people. We believe diversity in our student body, faculty, and staff is essential to our educational mission.

The College requires of undergraduates a breadth of study across several disciplines, with depth in at least one of the 50 fields of study. Education at the undergraduate level is typically broad rather than specialized and liberal rather than professional. Its aim is to develop a citizenry that is broadly informed and capable of critical appraisal, and that can locate or develop fundamental knowledge in a wide variety of fields. The aim of education at the graduate level is to bring students to the frontiers of current knowledge in a discipline and to enable them to become independent contributors to that knowledge. We engage graduate students as collaborators in producing and disseminating knowledge while promoting their independence as scholars, teachers, and productive citizens. We educate all students to think critically, to communicate with precision, and to develop sensitivity to different cultures. We further educate students to acquire the skills needed in a complex technological world, while also developing interests that stimulate life-long learning.

December 2003