One of the first things I did upon arriving at the University of Washington this summer was to visit our famous quadrangle. As I strolled under the Yoshino cherry trees, I was reminded that the Liberal Arts Quadrangle sits at the center of campus for a reason. Just as the quad connects the University of Washington community, the College of Arts & Sciences connects people, disciplines and ideas across the university.
The Power of the Liberal Arts
The term “liberal arts” derives from the Latin “artes liberales,” with “liberal” referring to liberty or freedom rather than modern political ideology and “arts” connoting disciplined skills rather than fine arts. The liberal arts thus comprise the learned practices worthy of free people. In the Middle Ages, the liberal arts came to encompass grammar, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, geometry, music, and astronomy.
Today, the liberal arts span arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences—a panoply of disciplines and interdisciplines that, taken together, teach critical inquiry to discern and discover truth through varying means, communication skills to argue effectively and persuade others, and the breadth to connect knowledge across domains.
In an era defined by rapid technological, social and economic change, these skills remain essential. They help our students navigate complexity, empower our researchers to pursue new discoveries, and enable our faculty and staff to create meaningful public impact. I often describe this as "the power of and.” The most exciting breakthroughs happen when disciplines, perspectives and people come together in unexpected ways.
A deep commitment to intellectual breadth and depth in research, teaching and public impact across the liberal arts unites the College of Arts and Sciences and makes it much more than the sum of its parts.
Priorities for the Year Ahead
This commitment to breadth, rigor and collaboration is more than an academic ideal. It informs our approach to the opportunities and challenges facing the College today. Because working together magnifies our effectiveness, this year we will focus on two major projects:
- Align College initiatives with the UW strategic plan. Provost Serio has charged us with creating strategic initiatives to support each of the university’s four pillars, and soon our College will engage in a collaborative process to do so. On October 8, President Jones will share more about the strategic plan in his annual State of the University Address, which I encourage you to watch.
- Financial sustainability and resiliency. I want to begin by acknowledging the disruption and challenges elicited by last year's budget process. Although significant progress was made, more work remains. Together, we will continue building a financially resilient college that can invest in our people, support our mission, and create opportunities for future generations. This year, we will spend time discussing our college priorities and how to meet the challenges of the present and future. A College budget update will be shared in early October.
Both of these projects will be ongoing throughout the year, so please look out for more details.
Join Me at CAS Kickoff and Connections Picnic
I invite our College’s faculty and staff to attend the “CAS Kickoff and Connections Picnic,” which was inspired by this photo from “Campus Day” in 1909. Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to learn more about what's happening this year—including our strategic planning process—and connect with your colleagues from across the college. CAS faculty and staff can register here.
Finally, I am grateful for the welcome I have received and inspired by the talent, dedication and creativity I see across our College. I look forward to working alongside you as we strengthen the intellectual and creative heart of the University of Washington and shape what comes next.