Watson noted the importance of providing encouragement and support
for innovative interdisciplinary collaboration across campus, and
integrating research scholarship, service and engagement with the public
into the student curriculum.
Creative and progressive work is at the core of the liberal arts,
and a liberal education is one of the core values of our college,
Watson said. It really does lay the groundwork for lifelong success.
As evidenced by its model in general education and majors, the
College of Arts and Sciences employs a T-shaped approach, combining
areas of in-depth study with specific areas of interest and exposure to
educational experiences across a wide range of academic fields, Watson
noted.
The higher order skills developed through the college experience
help students get jobs and have a successful career, Watson said. What
we are accomplishing with our students in four or five years really
does depend less on what their major field is. We believe in that
wholeheartedly in our college.
Exploring and understanding cultural, social, philosophical and
historical issues can provide a framework for thinking about the future
and the problems faced by society through creative thinking, Watson
said.
As leaders, graduates will need to identify the important problems
that need to be solved, Watson said. Identifying these problems is
just as important as solving them.
Watson added that a liberal arts education affords students the
opportunity to develop skills necessary to synthesize, contextualize and
communicate information and to work with increasingly diverse groups of
people.
I believe that the liberal arts have a way of bridging boundaries,
bringing us together, illuminating the human condition and reminding us,
in a world where were frequently faced with issues that divide us,
that we are all connected through our humanity, Watson said. The arts
are also a critically important avenue to helping us engage students and
audiences alike.
Signature programs in the college, Watson noted, include the
undergraduate degree in art conservation, the three-year master of
science degree in art conservation offered in collaboration between UD
and Winterthur, and the doctoral program in preservation studies in
collaboration with the Center for Material Culture Studies.
Another example of engaging students in the humanities is the
environmental humanities minor, based on the premise that the most basic
environmental questions are humanistic, Watson said.
The environmental sciences are important, Watson said, But we also
wanted students to explore why we have environmental problems, what
shapes our ideas about our place in nature and how has that relationship
has changed over time.
Watson also noted the colleges commitment to providing students with
the opportunity to engage and experience the arts in local and global
settings.
The arts continue to receive accolades, whether its the notable
performances by our REP or accomplishments by our internationally
renowned UD Chorale and, increasingly, other student ensembles traveling
around the world, Watson said. Our programs exemplify the
extraordinary power of the arts in connecting communities and cultures
worldwide. I couldnt imagine our college without the strong arts
portfolio that it possesses.