About Arts & Sciences

About the College

Welcome to the College of Arts & Sciences, the largest of the six academic colleges at Western Michigan University. Enrolling about one half of the student population and holding appointments for 350 (45%) of the faculty, the College has over 6,500 undergraduates, 55% of which were women and almost 12% minorities. Graduate enrollment exceeded 1500 students with approximately 50% women and 10% minorities. The College's activities support its vision:

The College of Arts and Sciences seeks to create a challenging and intellectually vital learning community. Such a community engages students and faculty alike in a continuing discourse, providing focus for being active, informed, productive, creative, open-minded, and ethically responsible citizens in a complex, multicultural, and rapidly changing world.

The College of Arts and Sciences is committed to the support and enhancement of graduate education, undergraduate education, research and public/professional service; informed in all dimensions by a commitment to diversity, to collaboration, to social responsibility and to civility; and sustained by continuous development and recognition of the efforts of faculty, advising personnel, support staff, emeriti and alumni.

TOP

Dean's Welcome

Welcome to the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University. The College of Arts and Sciences represents the academic heart of WMU, and the College provides a broad range of academic programs for students across the university. The College of Arts and Sciences constitutes the largest college at WMU, and we enroll 8,059 students among twenty-six departments and interdisciplinary programs. With more than 374 full-time faculty members our college teaches over fifty-two percent of all student credit hours at WMU, and members of our faculty include teacher/scholars who have received prestigious awards from the Guggenhiem Foundation, the Fulbright Association, the National Science Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among many other major national honors.

I invite you to browse our Web site to learn more about the departments and units that compose our college. As you will see, the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences rank among the finest scholars and researchers at WMU and among the finest teachers anywhere in the nation. And, of course, our students are among the very best in the country as well. Our students have received the very competitive and distinguished Goldwater Fellowships and Fulbright awards.

In the College of Arts and Sciences at WMU, student learning is our top priority, and I thank you for visiting our Web site. If I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me at arts-sci@wmich.edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas Kent, Dean
College of Arts & Sciences
Western Michigan University

TOP

Assessment

University Assesment Review Committee Information
This site will help those with departmental assesment plans get ready for the review by the University committee.

Approved Department Majors and Graduate Assessment Plans

Assessment Journal

During the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 academic years the college assessment committee met regularly to develop assessment plans for the departments. A journal of assessment development was kept.

During Spring 2005 a meeting was held to facilitate report writing by departments and programs.

Steve Malcolm, Chair of U.A.S.C. met with chairs and directors during the chairs' council on October 31, 2005.

Meetings are planned for Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 to discuss the implementation of deparment assessment plans and address issues faced by departments and programs.

TOP