School of the Humanities

Dean: Peter K. Powers
Administrative Assistant: Sally Keefer

Identity and Mission Statement

The School of the Humanities is an interdisciplinary intellectual community which analyzes and interprets the creation and transmission of human culture, both ancient and modern. We emphasize critical and creative thinking, communication skills, and the development of Christian perspectives as we engage the pressing aesthetic, philosophical, political, religious, and social issues of our day. Our mission is to educate students and the larger College community by cultivating an informed Christian faith, a maturing cultural literacy, and portable intellectual skills. We develop lifetime learners who demonstrate global awareness, civic engagement, servant leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

The School of the Humanities consists of seven academic departments, the Ethnic and Area Studies programs, the Peace and Conflict programs, the Writing Center, the Beatrice Howe Language Center, and the Center for Public Humanities. Twenty-four majors and 48 minors/concentrations advance a wide range of educational aspirations among our humanities students. The Center for Public Humanities enriches the School, the College, and the wider regional community by bringing faculty and students together with other educational, cultural, and civic organizations (e.g., schools, libraries, museums, regional societies and state councils, colleges and universities) to pursue collaborative ventures in humanities-based teaching, learning, and public events.

The School of the Humanities includes the following departments:

  • Department of Biblical and Religious Studies
  • Department of Communication
  • Department of English
  • Department of History
  • Department of Modern Languages
  • Department of Philosophy
  • Department of Politics and International Relations