Dean’s Office
The mission of CLAS is to inspire thinking and transform lives through discovery, innovation, and global connections. We envision a world of thriving, engaged communities empowered by diverse perspectives and purposeful inquiry.
Dean Nancy A. Gutierrez
Our college is a place of exploration and discovery, where we seek out and encourage an entrepreneurial spirit and an expansive habit of mind that cross fields of inquiry. Our faculty and students cultivate connections and collaborations with local, regional, national and global communities to support our shared goals and to address societal issues.
Students in our college are challenged to think more broadly and more deeply than probably they have ever before. They learn to think critically and to act compassionately, working alongside their professors and fellow students in the classroom, in research settings and in the broader community. Our students gain the insights they need to confront their preconceived notions and move beyond their comfort zones.
Because our focus is expansive and inclusive, our students can find and refine their true passions. Our students engage in experiences that help them develop as creative and imaginative thinkers and engaged citizens in a world increasingly characterized by diversity and change. They grow as leaders, ready to make a difference now and in their future.
Our world-class faculty are thought leaders — passionate about their teaching and scholarship — who model ethical and engaged citizenship for their students. Our faculty and students actively engage with local, national, and global communities and seek to transform the world through creative and innovative solutions.
Our world is wrestling with such challenges as the effects of globalization, issues of sustainability, tensions between civil liberties and national security, threats to ecological and environmental stability, and conflicts between and among cultures. The College not only is a place of inquiry where faculty and students come together to learn about such topics, but it also is a place in which solutions to these challenges are sought. As problems grow in complexity, we strive to bring areas of knowledge together to realize effective solutions. By the time our students graduate, they are prepared for leadership and service, equipped with the tools for success, wherever they choose to live and work.