Celebrating the enduring value and ethos of Art Humanities, Contemporary Civilization, Frontiers of Science, Literature Humanities and Music Humanities

Dear Columbia College Community,

As we approach the end of Fall Term, with the election behind us and Thanksgiving break on the horizon, many of us will have opportunities to reflect on recent events in the company of friends and family. While the nation enters a new season of transition, the responsibility for defining our own path forward — as a community and as individuals — remains in our keeping. We are fortunate to have a remarkable tool at our disposal for charting the course ahead.

The Core Curriculum — indeed, the modern notion of a liberal arts education — was born a century ago in the context of global crisis. It has only grown in meaning and significance during subsequent periods of periods of uncertainty and change. As we enter yet another chapter in that history, I find myself inspired and encouraged by the enduring influence of the living experiment at the heart of the College’s educational mission and vision.

I hope that you are also heartened by the many ways this mission animates our students’ experience in this moment, including:

• The inaugural cohort for the Practices in Community Building Deans’ Fellowship has been selected and begins meeting this week. Their work, rooted in the Core Curriculum, will help focus and reframe how we engage with one another as we live, work, learn and serve together.
• I continue to reflect on the amazing work on display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the tangible proof that liberal arts is not a static enterprise, but rather, that the creation of new knowledge is at the heart of our academic mission.
• Our ongoing celebration of the 20th anniversary of Frontiers of Science showcases how instilling scientific habits of mind has become integral to our conception of a holistic education.
• I had the occasion to address Laidlaw Scholars from around the country as we hosted their national conference of undergraduate scholars from colleges and universities across the United States.
• And, the Core Conversations series continues to shine a light on the remarkable faculty who bring the Core to life for our students.

Now, more than ever, as we face the “the insistent problems of the present,” we have an opportunity and an obligation to demonstrate the value and power of the habits of mind, critical thinking skills and ethos at the heart of our enduring educational experiment.

With respect,

Josef Sorett
Dean of Columbia College
Vice President for Undergraduate Education

This message was sent to Columbia College students, families, alumni and staff on November 13, 2024.