Realizing the Vision:
The Future of the Liberal Arts and Sciences at MSU

As Michigan State University enters into both the 21st century and its sesquicentennial, it looks to enhance - and strengthen - its vision of the liberal arts and sciences at the land-grant university. Toward this goal, the MSU community has been engaged in a conversation about what initiatives might best help bring such a vision to life. Both the conversations and the resulting initiatives are communal efforts based on the input of many voices. There is no single vision; we are realizing the vision together.

In fall 2003, Provost Lou Anna K. Simon shared her preliminary thinking on the liberal arts and sciences at MSU and asked members of the MSU community to share their best ideas and innovative thinking in a series of purposeful conversations. These conversations began in fall 2003, resulting in a framework document with proposals for action entitled Realizing the Vision: Liberal Arts in the 21st Century Land Grant University. (PDF)

In April, 2004, five committees were charged with working on various elements of a vision for the liberal arts and sciences. Each committee has developed a final report, and each has been engaged in a series of public discussions around the ideas in those reports.

• The Residential College Planning Committee Final Report proposes a philosophy and conceptual framework for a new residential program, rooted in the liberal arts, particularly the creative arts and humanities, and in the sciences. (The Report of the Summer Task Force 2005 for the New Residential College/School (PDF) followed, in August of 2005.)
• The Writing Task Force Final Report (PDF) looks at current practices in Tier II Writing, and at best practices in writing instruction around the country.
• The Quantitative Literacy Task Force Final Report describes progress in identifying desired quantitative literacy outcomes for undergraduate students.
• The Integrative Studies Planning Committee Final Report contains discussion of four possible organizational structures, and the benefits and shortcomings of each in moving Integrative Studies forward toward its goal of providing the highest quality integrative general education for our undergraduate students.
• Finally, the Committee on College Reorganization Final Report poses a set of questions and posits possible criteria for proceeding with structural reorganization of colleges.

The MSU community has had the responsibility of considering carefully each of the products of these faculty committees, and then participating in the open forums (real and virtual) that followed, as we worked together toward our collective goals.