College of Liberal Arts

www.usi.edu/liberal-arts

Melinda Roberts, Ph.D., Interim Dean

Trent Engbers, Ph.D., Interim Assistant Dean

Silvia A. Rode, Ph.D., Assistant Dean

Sara Christensen Blair, M.F.A., Chair, Art and Design department

Wes Durham, Ph.D., Director, Bachelor of Professional Studies program

Leigh Anne Howard, Ph.D., Chair, Communication and Media department

Todd J. Schroer, Ph.D., Chair, Criminal Justice department

Oana Popescu-Sandu, Ph.D., Chair, English department

Sukanya Gupta, Ph.D., Director, Global Studies program

Jason D. Hardgrave, Ph.D., Chair, History department

Elliot H. Wasserman, M.F.A., Chair, Performing Arts department

Oana Armeanu, Ph.D., Chair, Political Science, Public Administration, and Philosophy department

Amie McKibban, Ph.D., Chair, Psychology department

Marie Pease, Ph.D., Chair, Social Work department

Andrew Buck, Ph.D., Chair, Sociology department

David Hitchcock, Ph.D., Chair, World Languages and Cultures department

The College of Liberal Arts offers students the opportunities, first, to develop the fundamentals of a liberal education upon which to base a lifetime of learning and, second, to concentrate in studies that form the foundation for professional pursuits.

The college includes the departments of Art and Design; Communication and Media; Criminal Justice; English; History; Performing Arts; Political Science, Public Administration, and Philosophy; Psychology; Social Work; Sociology; and World Languages and Cultures. Through these areas, as well as Interdisciplinary Studies, the college offers more than 30 majors and emphases and a similar number of minors. Students interested in teaching careers may seek education licensing via a teaching major in English, History, Visual Art, or World Languages and Cultures (French, German, or Spanish), or a teaching minor in Art, English, Journalism, Language Arts, Social Science, or Theatre Education.

The Liberal Arts and a Liberal Education

A liberal education, in the words of Martha Nussbaum, is the “cultivation of the whole human being for the functions of citizenry and life.” At USI this cultivation is the goal of Core 39, many of the courses for which are offered in Liberal Arts. Complete details of the core are available at www.usi.edu/core39. Students should consult with their advisors in developing a specific plan for completing these requirements. Students seeking a major or minor from Liberal Arts must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in their major or minor; some programs require a higher GPA. 

Teacher Licensure

Many students majoring in disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts prepare themselves to teach in secondary schools (high schools, junior high schools, or middle schools). Admission to Teacher Education is a process that confirms a teacher candidate’s intent to pursue teacher licensure at the University of Southern Indiana in an education major or minor program. Access to designated advanced education courses are restricted to teacher candidates who have been formally admitted to teacher education.

Requirements for admission to Teacher Education and admission to student teaching can be found in the Teacher Education  section of the bulletin.

The student must successfully complete other courses and meet GPA requirements as established for the major. As part of the application process, the student may be interviewed by both the major and minor departments. A student should ask his or her advisor for information on arranging the interview.

The structure of the interview may vary according to department, but in general, it will be conducted by a committee consisting of two to three faculty members from the major field(s). This committee may interview the student according to the procedures established in the department, review his or her record, and decide on a recommendation.

The committee may decide as follows: (1) to recommend the student unconditionally for admission to the teacher education program; (2) to reject the student’s application. The chair of the committee will record the committee’s decision on the student’s application form and return the form to the student. A copy of the committee’s decision will be placed in the student’s advising folder. The committee will approve applications to Teacher Education through TK20.

Among factors the committee will consider in making its decision are the student’s academic record, performance in classes, course work completed, ability to organize and present material orally, and general promise. In particular, University regulations require that a student admitted unconditionally to the teacher education program must carry a grade point average of at least 2.75 in his/her major, any supporting area or minor, and overall. A student may appeal the decision of the interview committee to the Dean of Liberal Arts.