Greetings from the College of Arts and Sciences at Canisius University, home to 30 majors, 33 minors, 3 pre-professional programs, and 2 Master’s degree programs. Within the college beats the heart of the liberal arts education that makes Canisius special—deep engagement with the broadest questions about truth, beauty, and justice. Faculty prepare students for careers and professions in a variety of fields, but more importantly for fulfilling lives. Students who graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences are ready not just for their first job, but also for their fourth or fifth job.
Professors come from some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. They are teacher-scholars, dedicated to both developing new knowledge and sharing it with students in everything from introductory first-year courses to graduate seminars. Pedagogy is innovative and diverse, ranging from online modules to intensive seminars to the time-honored Socratic method. Faculty present research at national and international conferences, publish in highly-ranked journals and with leading scholarly presses, earn prestigious grants and fellowships, and engage students in their research. Many lead students on study abroad and service learning trips that apply and expand classroom knowledge.
Everything we do in the College of Arts & Sciences is informed by the Catholic intellectual tradition, rooted in the assumption that faith and reason work together to advance knowledge and reveal greater truths. As one of 28 Jesuit institutions in the United States, we educate beyond the classroom to see the whole person intellectually, ethically, and spiritually; the principle of cura personalis. Canisius graduates are women and men who advocate for social justice and become ethical leaders in their communities. I am proud of the intellectual and socio-economic diversity of our faculty and promise to foster a safe, accepting place within the College of Arts & Sciences.
The skills emblematic of a liberal arts education—critical thinking, integrative analysis, effective written and oral communication, empathy, working collaboratively—lie at the heart of the College of Arts & Sciences. I hope that you will find the college to be a challenging, rigorous, and engaging intellectual community.
Thomas A. Chambers, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor of History