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Statement from the Dean
on the Liberal Arts

March 8, 2005

As an educator and administrator at The University of Southern Mississippi, I feel it is incumbent upon me to comment upon recent suggestions that the role and function of the university is undergoing a fundamental change from the Liberal Arts to a more "technical" orientation.  That assessment is inaccurate.

The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive, doctoral research extensive university. One of the hallmarks of every great comprehensive university is an education based upon a firm foundation in the traditional arts and sciences, commonly referred to as the "liberal arts."  Even universities such as M.I.T., Georgia Tech, and Stanford, known for their excellence in high tech disciplines, clearly value and support excellence in the liberal arts component of their degrees.  Such is also the case at The University of Southern Mississippi.

The College of Arts and Letters at The University of Southern Mississippi is and will continue to be a vital part of the future of this university.  Our faculty of artist-teachers, educators, and scholars has received recognition at the highest national and international levels.  We have nationally recognized programs in the arts, fine arts, humanities, and social sciences.  

No university planning document, draft strategic plan, college mission statement, or statement of core values for the university implies in any way diminishing the role of the College of Arts and Letters in the future of this university.  The draft Strategic Plan currently under development tacitly recognizes the role of a "liberal education" as a core value, including the statement, "Our success in educating graduates can be determined in part by the degree that our students become well-read, articulate, and creative and critical thinkers."  These principles are not unique to the Strategic Plan; they form the basis for the University General Education Requirements and underscore even the core subject matter of secondary education throughout the State.

Another hallmark of both great universities and educated societies is a tolerance for diversity, both of people and opinions.  Here again, one of the core values in the draft strategic plan states, "Education encourages and develops the ideals of a pluralistic democratic society: civic responsibility, integrity, ethical behavior, and tolerance." At any university, such democratic pluralism means that faculty from all colleges may speak their minds.  It is the responsibility of these educated minds to share ideas.  Similarly, community and government leaders will also express their opinions.  Disagreement between and within the groups often results but is the very essence of free speech and the vehicle through which ideas are forged and refined.

Due to the financial condition of the State of Mississippi, all universities must find ways to promote funded research, economic development, and an entrepreneurial spirit among faculty and administrators as we seek new sources of revenue to fund our institutions.   But this search for new revenue sources should not cause us to lose our tolerance for diversity or disagreement.  

Elliott Pood, Ph.D., Dean
College of Arts and Letters