College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences houses fundamental modes of human knowledge, traditionally clustered into arts, humanities, and social sciences disciplines, but also interdisciplinary and intersectional fields. 

These varied ways of knowing complement each other: the arts stress knowing and learning through creating and doing; the humanities focus on how humans interact with and interpret their world; the social sciences explore the dynamics of human interactions within and across cultures. Together, the fields clustered into liberal arts and social sciences ask us to think deeply and systematically about significant questions, collaborate to expand our understanding, communicate effectively, and prepare for active citizenship. The liberal arts and social sciences adhere to the central premise that education frees the human mind from prejudice and parochialism through reasoned discourse and creative exploration.

The College contributes significantly to the UIS general education curriculum—the foundation of both a well-rounded education and a site for personal exploration. College faculty are dedicated teacher-scholars, and many faculty have been recognized for their excellence in the classroom. They are also active scholars and artists, with books, articles, exhibits, and performances to their credit. CLASS faculty are deeply committed to mentoring undergraduate students through research in the classroom, studio, laboratory, and in the field. Courses are taught using state-of-the-art classrooms, computer labs, and dedicated spaces for clinical observation, performance practice, and art production. 

Co-curricular activities are plentiful, through the Visual Arts Gallery, Musical and Theatrical performances, and a variety of student clubs and academic honor societies. The College offers a number of nationally-recognized online degrees, taught primarily by full-time faculty. Resources for student success include The Learning Hub, which offers free academic support in Mathematics, Sciences, Writing, and Academic skills through one-to-one tutoring, workshops, presentations, and online tutoring.

In addition to a university-wide emphasis on student-centered educational experiences, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences takes as its mission empowering students with the keys to personal and professional success: critical thinking, empathy for others, effective communication, and creative problem solving.