Students entering ߲ݴý University next fall will select from an updated slate of Liberal Arts Seminars — the first-semester courses that introduce college-level research, writing, and critical thinking through the study of an interdisciplinary topic.
߲ݴý has been awarded a $50,000 grant by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New York, to help faculty create and revise seminars that utilize service learning and other high-impact practices that promote student learning.
“The Liberal Arts Seminars set the tone for the culture of inquiry that students enter as they begin their educations at ߲ݴý,” said Fred Ohles, President of ߲ݴý University. “To have our program recognized by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a strong endorsement to our mission on a national level.”
Through intriguing topics like “The Necessity of Wilderness” and “Psychology of Music,” students entering ߲ݴý sharpen their writing and speaking skills while working collaboratively with classmates. The Liberal Arts Seminars are designed and taught by ߲ݴý professors. Upper-level students serve as co-instructors and mentors.
In the project, ߲ݴý faculty will explore new teaching strategies and best practices for guiding today’s students toward excellence within an academic community that is committed to students’ personal growth and future service to the human community.