Dear Friends,

It’s hard to chart a course for success if you don’t know where you’re headed. For the past year, members of the College community and I have been working hard to determine how best to move forward as leaders in innovative Liberal Arts education and scholarship. To that end, I’ve developed a roadmap for 2016, focusing on how we will strengthen undergraduate and graduate education, enhance faculty excellence, and expand revenue sources in the College. I shared this vision with the Board of Trustees in late December, and following the Board’s favorable response, we are moving forward to meet these challenges in the year ahead.

Our students are also studying where we’re headed—as a global community and a national one. Several of our students discussed and debated international issues at the 2015 Model UN in Bogotá, Colombia. At the Iowa Caucus last month, students observed political campaigns in action and surveyed participants on their preferred presidential candidates. 

Some voices—like Roxane Gay’s—remind us to reconsider where we’re going. Roxane, an author and associate professor of creative writing, was recently awarded PEN Center USA’s “Freedom to Write” award. As a novelist, author of the essay collection Bad Feminist, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, among many other publications, she is one of our nation’s most insightful writers, urging us to question the status quo.

One alumna recently contributed to our students’ future success by establishing an endowment for graduate student travel. Dr. Cassandra Book’s endowment honoring Professor of Communication Ralph Webb and his wife Ginny helps us move forward while honoring an outstanding faculty member who guided her educational path.

Staying on track is easier when you love what you’re doing. Members of our Liberal Arts Student Leadership Council recently celebrated their pride in the College with “Love Liberal Arts” week. They highlighted the engagement opportunities and mentors who inspire them with a week of fun campus events, then posted photos, along with our alumni, on our new Instagram account.

Without you, the road to success would be a long and difficult one. Last year generous donations from our alumni helped Liberal Arts raise almost $600,000 during Purdue’s Day of Giving. We hope you’ll join us again this spring on April 27.  With your help, we’ll continue to navigate the path we’ve set to lead the way forward in Liberal Arts education and scholarship.

Sincerely,

David Reingold
Justin S. Morrill Dean
College of Liberal Arts

Charting a course for the College of Liberal Arts

The College is moving forward with the vision of emerging as a leader in innovative Liberal Arts education and scholarship.

Liberal Arts students participate at the Model UN and Iowa Caucus

Political science students engaged in discussion of current, historic, and forward-looking topics influencing the world we live in at the Model UN, and communication and political science students collected data on campaign operations and voter perceptions at the Iowa Caucus.

Author Roxane Gay wins PEN Center USA “Freedom to Write” award

Roxane Gay, an associate professor of creative writing, won the award for individuals who have produced notable work in the face of adversity or demonstrated courage in the defense of free expression.

Alumna establishes endowment to honor Professor Ralph Webb

Dr. Cassandra Book (PhD 1975, Brian Lamb School of Communication) has established an endowment honoring the impact that Professor of Communication Ralph Webb and his wife Virginia Anderson Webb have had on Purdue students and the Greater Lafayette Community.

Students and alumni show why they “Love Liberal Arts”

The Liberal Arts Student Leadership Council recently celebrated “Love Liberal Arts” week, and look forward to doing it again in February 2017. Join us on campus or on social media, including Instagram.

Join us for Purdue Day of Giving on April 27

Last year you donated from planes, the Willis Tower, and a beach in Hawaii! Thank you for all you do, and join us again on April 27 to support the College of Liberal Arts during Purdue Day of Giving.