All of us in the College, regardless of our home discipline, have a shared belief in a number of central principles.
First and foremost, we believe in the power, importance and centrality of the liberal arts. Regardless of the major or
minor students select in the College (and we offer 33 majors and 31 minors across 14 departments and over 35 programs
in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences), they will be encouraged and expected to explore
different ways of understanding the world, to experience cultures diverse from their own, practice critical thinking, to
appreciate the value of and joy associated with learning, and to recognize the power their education provides them for
personal gain and social change. A liberal arts degree from Butler University, and the hard but exciting work required
to acquire one, positions students to do almost anything with their lives beyond Butler. As so many of our graduates have
demonstrated, Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni are able to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of those with
whom they interact. The faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have adopted a statement outlining the core
values associated with a liberal arts education. We hope you will take time to read our Core Values Statement. (Read
the Core Values Statement in
English,
Chinese,
French,
German,
Italian, &
Spanish.)
Second, we work on a daily basis to strengthen ties between students and faculty members. Students and their faculty
mentors work closely together both in and out of the classroom. They conduct collaborative research projects, make joint
presentations at professional meetings and publish the results of their work in the literature of their disciplines. They
talk about ideas, the future and the world. And they very frequently remain in touch long after graduation.
Third, we are incredibly proud of the scholarship created by our faculty. Faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences regularly produce articles, books and reports that add to the knowledge base in their disciplines. Faculty
members regularly bring the excitement that comes from making new discoveries and writing new pieces of literature or
poetry into the classroom. Classrooms are livelier and students are enriched because of this activity.
Finally, we believe that learning takes place in many settings in addition to the classroom. College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences students participate in internships in Indianapolis and around the world, and they regularly study abroad and in
various field locations.
Because we believe that the liberal arts matter, we have undertaken a number of initiatives to explain and promote the
importance of the liberal arts. Please take a look at our Liberal Arts
Matters web pages to gain a fuller understanding of our perspective on the liberal arts.
Michael Zimmerman
Dean
