Letter from the Dean

	David Hodge

People who have been away from campus for a while may envision an Arts and Sciences education as one in which students read texts, attend class lectures, participate in class
discussions, and take written exams.

While such wonderful classes are still at the heart of the undergraduate experience, we are working hard to develop a broad range of learning opportunities for undergraduates that extend well beyond the classroom and the campus. These
efforts to involve more students in research, service learning, and study abroad add new layers to an undergraduate education and have become part of the fabric of the College.

In addition to cross-college initiatives, individual
departments offer an astonishing array of innovative courses and extracurricular projects with real-world applications— the sort of offerings that students later identify as a turning point in their education, and often their lives.

This issue of A&S Perspectives is filled with examples of non-traditional learning opportunties and their positive impact on those involved. In many cases, the benefits extend to the larger community as well.

While they are quite diverse, these offerings have several things in common. They are bold. They emerged from the creative vision of faculty and graduate students willing to work incredibly hard. And they assume that undergraduates, when committed and focused, can accomplish some pretty amazing things.

The DXARTS program, for example, offered a summer course in cinema production through which about two dozen students—most with no prior experience—produced a full-length feature film. Their learning curve was enormous, but given the responsibility for such an ambitious project, they worked tirelessly and accomplished their goal.

Through a course offered by the Program on the Environment, students traveled to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after studying the complex issues that face the refuge today. They met with federal officials and environmental, political, and Native experts and then became experts themselves, heading to Washington, D.C. in September to speak to Congressional leaders about the refuge.

Students in an applied anthropology course spent a quarter getting to know members of the Marshall Islands community in the Puget Sound area, identifying and then addressing some of their needs. Students were so profoundly affected by the experience that several are now spending a year in the Marshall Islands.

Biology students traveled to Ecuador for a research project designed and implemented by undergraduates with faculty and graduate mentors on hand to provide guidance. Their research is likely to lead to a published article—and very possibly the identification of a new species of dung beetle. It is especially impressive to note how they had to solve unexpected challenges and in doing so took ownership of the class.

As these examples demonstrate, the College views the world beyond campus as a compelling classroom that engages undergraduates in meaningful ways. Students in these courses are discovering their capabilities and their passions. It is a wonderful transformation to witness.

Many of these innovative offerings have been made possible through private support. I encourage you to review the College’s Report to Contributors, which recognizes the generosity of our donors. This year the College also celebrates the establishment of 100 faculty endowments, a goal we had set in 1998.

I thank you for your ongoing support of the College. As we continue to expand the definition of the “classroom,” your support provides opportunities for students to experience new challenges, to learn more deeply about the world around them, and to discover how very capable they are. This is education at its best—inquiry driven, student focused, and above all, active.

Sincerely,

David Hodge
Dean
206-543-5340
hodge@u.washington.edu

[Autumn 2005 - Table of Contents]