Vision
The College of Arts and Humanities faculty and staff seek to develop a humanistic and socially responsible mindset in our students. Ideally, such a mindset promotes the ability to internalize the habit of critical, flexible, compassionate thinking and thereby to become a more responsible agent in society. This humanistic and socially responsible mindset is fostered through student-faculty, student-staff, and faculty-staff interactions both within and outside the classroom.
Creativity: Students within the College of Arts and Humanities are continually challenged to be creative. Whether it be performances, artistic endeavors, creative writing, or individualized scholarship, students are inspired to explore their creative paths. Through faculty guidance and feedback, students learn to develop their unique modes of expression and consider each project’s intended audience.
Compassion: By engaging with the human condition through a variety of disciplines and lenses, students become more empathetic. They better understand the plights of others and can more effectively interact with a variety of people from around the world. Students also become more self-aware and globally aware, developing the vital skills of self-reflection and personal understanding.
Open-mindedness: When students are encouraged to engage with a diverse group of people and converse about a wide range of texts and issues, students become more open to the world around them. In the College of Arts and Humanities, we encourage students to follow their own paths but to do so in an informed way. Students who learn to value a diversity of thought are students who become more flexible in their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Intellectual Curiosity: College of Arts and Humanities students are encouraged to pursue the scholarly paths that often lead to new discoveries and new insights. Faculty are working professionals in their fields, modeling a behavior of ask-seek-find-critique-repeat. In addition, students utilize self-reflection skills to consider the ways their educational, professional, and personal experiences intersect. By observing their faculty members’ professional pursuits and learning to reflect on their own experiences, students develop an intellectual independence that prepares them to tackle projects and situations as they arise.
Engagement: It is nearly impossible to be a student in the College of Arts and Humanities without a sense of engagement. Whether it is the vibrant class discussions; the hard work, pleasure, and pride in a successful performance; or the hours spent on a group project, students are part of a larger community, often made up of peers from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Because faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Humanities value engagement, students learn to work collaboratively and to take on leadership roles.
The curriculum, performance opportunities, high-impact pedagogical approaches, experiential learning, and co-curricular activities within the College of Arts and Humanities work together to equip students to better understand their place in the world and in their own cultures as well as the cultures of others. They provide students with skills of creativity, expression, understanding, and critical analysis that will be of great value both in their careers and in their life outside of the workplace. When a humanistic mindset and social responsibility inform our interactions with students, the College of Arts and Humanities faculty and staff are upholding Mount Union’s mission to prepare students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship.