2004-06 IUPUI Campus Bulletin

School of Liberal Arts

A liberal arts education begins with the premise that one’s world and one’s self are at the core of the pursuit of knowledge. It leads to viewing the world from more than one perspective and learning something about its social, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. Those different perspectives within the liberal arts encompass two major groups of academic disciplines: the humanities, which explore the history and experience of human culture, and the social sciences, which examine the social and material foundations of human life. Regardless of the perspective, the focus in the liberal arts is on knowledge itself, on both its substance and the tools for pursuing it, on what is known and what is worth knowing. Skills for acquiring and generating knowledge, as well as the preservation of knowledge, are enfolded within the School of Liberal Arts curriculum.

Liberal arts graduates are expected to read and listen effectively, to speak and write clearly and persuasively. They learn how to think critically and creatively. As perceptive analysts of what they read, see, and hear, liberal arts students are expected to be able to reason carefully and correctly and to recognize the legitimacy of intuition when reason and evidence prove insufficient. They learn to use various analytical tools, such as mathematics and statistics, to enable them to undertake quantitative analysis when such a strategy is appropriate.

Furthermore, students in the liberal arts, by developing communication skills in both English and at least one foreign language, equip themselves to communicate with others within their own culture and different cultures. This ability to communicate requires insights into diverse patterns of thought and modes of expression. Such insights allow students to identify universal, as well as unique, aspects of their culture, their community, and themselves.

Students in the liberal arts spend a substantial amount of time studying local and international human communities. Students cultivate an informed sensitivity to global and environmental issues by exploring the range of social, geographic, economic, political, religious, and cultural realities influencing world events.

Liberal arts students do not limit their studies to the here and now. A liberal arts education requires the development of a historical consciousness, so that students can view the present within the context of the past, can appreciate tradition and what the preservation of knowledge implies, and can understand the critical forces that influence the way we think, feel, act, and speak.

In the midst of discussions of theoretical frameworks and appropriate methods of gathering and verifying data, liberal arts students consider social problems such as poverty, pollution, crime, racism, and sexism. Such consideration leads to an even greater appreciation of the dynamics of change and of what different perspectives have to offer.

A quality liberal arts education also includes an appreciation of literature and the arts and the cultivation of the aesthetic judgment that makes possible the enjoyment and comprehension of works of the creative imagination.

The liberal arts curriculum helps students examine ethical perspectives, so that they can formulate and understand their own values, become aware of others’ values, and discern the ethical dimensions underlying many of the decisions that they must make. The issues discussed and the individuals and points of view studied help define the citizen as an informed and responsible individual.

This course of study implies that to be educated is to be tolerant, open to others and their ideas, and willing to admit the validity of alternative approaches. Interdisciplinary courses in which students are asked to consider the same subject from varied perspectives enhance that aspect of the liberal arts education.

General knowledge of the liberal arts provides a firm foundation for productive and responsible citizenship. When professional and personal decisions and actions are informed by knowledge, rationality, and compassion, they make the greatest contribution to a better world.

The broad knowledge and course of study described above as characteristic of a good liberal arts education is coupled with an in-depth exploration of at least one particular academic discipline, a major. Liberal arts students acquire a coherent, sophisticated understanding of a major body of knowledge with all its complexities, unique methodologies, power, and limitations. The major provides a foundation for additional academic study or for advancement within a chosen career. But because of the demanding general requirements, a liberal arts course of study protects students from the pitfalls of overspecialization too early in their postsecondary education.

A liberal arts education is an ideal preparation for professional life, encouraging students to pursue subsequent specialization within a framework of intellectual breadth and creativity. More than just training for today’s occupations, however, the humanities and social sciences offer students the skills and flexibility they will need as they move on to careers and occupations not yet known or imagined.

Whether just out of high school or returning to college after being away for decades, students will discover a liberal arts course of study prepares them for the present and the future, for the personal and the professional.

Who Should Use This Bulletin

The 2002-2004 Bulletin presents the degree requirements for the School of Liberal Arts effective June 1, 2002. Students admitted to the School of Liberal Arts must satisfy degree requirements as described herein. Students accepted to the School of Liberal Arts prior to fall semester 2002 and continuously enrolled since then (excluding summer sessions) either may meet the school’s requirements at the time they were initially accepted as a liberal arts major or they may elect the requirements as described below. Students who are not continuously enrolled or who take more than eight years of classes to complete their degrees should confer with the dean of student affairs in the school to determine the requirements applicable to their degrees.

Admission and Transfer

All students entering the School of Liberal Arts (SLA) must be admitted officially to IUPUI by the Office of Admissions or by another Indiana University campus as a degree-seeking student.

After students have been admitted by IUPUI, they must also be admitted by the specific school in which they intend to pursue a degree. The School of Liberal Arts welcomes nontraditional students and recent high school graduates if they wish to pursue a liberal arts degree and meet the school’s requirements for admission. Students can be admitted before they have selected a major if their general interests lie in the humanities or social sciences.

Many liberal arts students are transfer students coming from another college or university, another Indiana University campus, or another division of IUPUI. Procedures for transferring into the School of Liberal Arts and special arrangements for transfer students are described below.

Dual Admission

The School of Liberal Arts encourages the dual admission of qualified IUPUI freshmen and transfer students into the school as well as into University College. Completion of the Indiana Academic Honors diploma while in high school is highly encouraged and an excellent preparation for a liberal arts degree. Students who know which major they wish to pursue may be admitted to the respective department while undecided applicants are admitted to the school as undecided majors.

To be eligible for dual admission, applicants must meet the general university and campus requirements. Applicants who have been out of high school two or more years are not required to submit test scores, although the standardized tests are highly recommended; evaluation of students who request admission without presenting test scores will be made on an individual basis.

Transfer Students

The School of Liberal Arts welcomes transfer students and is committed to making their transition and transfer of credit as smooth as possible. At any time thereafter, a student with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C) may transfer to the School of Liberal Arts by filing a Change of Record form. Transfer students who have questions about how their previous course work will apply to their degree, or who encounter difficulties in the process of transferring credit or records, should contact the School of Liberal Arts Office of Student Affairs, Cavanaugh Hall 401, or call (317) 274-3976.

Probationary Admission

Individuals interested in transferring to the School of Liberal Arts whose college grade point average is lower than 2.0 (C) may petition for probationary admission. Special consideration is given to adult learners and students returning after five or more years.

Petitions are available from the School of Liberal Arts Office of Student Affairs, Cavanaugh Hall 401, (317) 274-3976. Transfer students, either within IU or from other colleges or universities, should attach a copy of their college transcript. Petitions are reviewed by the School of Liberal Arts Associate Dean and should be submitted by the following deadlines:

To enroll for the fall semester	July 15
To enroll for the spring semester	November 15
To enroll for summer session	April 15

At the discretion of the Associate Dean, the school will ordinarily admit transfer students whose past performance, experience, or current situation show reasonable potential for successfully completing a degree. Such students are counseled through the Office of Student Affairs or their major department and remain on probation until their cumulative grade point average is raised to at least 2.0 (C).