Committed to inclusion and equity, the College of Liberal Arts is the intellectual home of dialogue across difference. As stewards of the Benedictine tradition, we cultivate wisdom and prepare students for meaningful life and work. We make an exceptional education in the arts, humanities and social sciences accessible to all. The “liberal” in ‘liberal arts’ refers to what allows you to be free — liberated! And the “arts” refers to how to create things well — in this case how to make a life and develop yourself. Taken together, liberal arts disciplines allow you to swim rather than float through your life. They do this by helping you be adaptable and flexible in the face of change; enabling you to communicate across differences in culture, nation and creed; allowing you to navigate what is based upon what was; and providing intellectual self-defense against anyone seeking to take advantage of you. These goals also complement Benedictine values celebrating purposeful living, inclusivity and social justice. When the only constant is change, what best prepares you for a meaningful career in an uncertain future is an education that makes you flexible and resilient — precisely the education the liberal arts provides. We teach skills that don’t have an expiration date.

These skills are also the ones employers prize. We call them the 5 Cs:

• Critical-thinking and ethical problem-solving
• Communication skills
• Collaboration, teamwork and leadership
• Competency in intercultural and global relationship
• Cultural and civic literacy

Within the College of Liberal Arts, we seek to educate the whole person. We want our graduates to both see connections across disciplines and encounter diversity productively, And respectfully, we want them to be both sharp and well-rounded, and to learn skills to make a living and a life.

Sharpen your mind  |  Strengthen your character  |  Enrich your life