COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

The College of Liberal Arts is at the very heart of the Wright State University undergraduate experience, offering educational opportunities for nearly 2,000 students in more than 40 academic programs. But the College also exemplifies the University's longstanding commitment to community from its pioneering urban and regional revitalization programs, to its vibrant contributions to the Miami Valley's cultural life.Among the College's many accomplishments and honors:· The Department of Theatre's new musical theatre program has won national acclaim, while its productions have built a growing national reputation drawing from the history of the Dayton region: "1913: The Great Dayton Flood," and "1903: Wings of Dreams." In 1997, the Department was invited to perform "1913" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

· At the 2000 National Model UN Conference, Wright State's team won its 21st Outstanding Delegation award, beating out competition that included Vassar, Georgetown, Brigham Young, and the University of Maryland. Along with bringing the University national prestige, the Model UN program gives students invaluable experience in world affairs, research, public speaking, conflict resolution, and negotiation.

· Since 1986, the College's Center for Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA) has been a major force for regional planning, cooperation and development in the Miami Valley, working in partnership with governments, nonprofits, organizations, neighborhoods, civic institutions, public managers, and legislators. CUPA initiatives include the Dayton Community Outreach Project, which is collaborating with four Dayton inner-core neighborhoods to improve housing, community organization, education, health care, and economic development; Challenge 95, the first-ever seven-county strategic plan; and an analysis of barriers to health care for the impoverished residents of the Miami Valley. All of these efforts have established a strategic economic agenda that has been implemented and furthered the betterment of the entire community.

· Faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts have received more faculty awards than any other college in the university. For example, Dr. Donna Schlagheck received two teaching awards including the Distinguished Professor of Teaching and the Trustees' Award for Outstanding Faculty Member. In addition, Dr. James Sayer has received three awards including the Distinguished Professor of Professional Service, and the Trustees' Award.

Sustaining its proven ability to work effectively in many realms is the greatest challenge facing the College in the years to come. Making a difference on a large scale demands broad and deep resources. To build on the momentum of its achievements, the College seeks a minimum of $20 million in support through the Campaign for Wright State University.

Attracting and retaining a diverse student body, $1 million. The College seeks to endow scholarships for students with interests that include African-American Studies, Women's Studies, International Studies, Theatre and Music, Urban Affairs, Communication and Social Work. Each of these programs attracts a diverse, high-achieving student body with especially high levels of financial need.

Building on the rising excellence in cultural, regional, and religious studies, $3 million. The College's emphasis in European Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, African Studies, and Judaic studies are raising the national and international profile of Wright State. The interdisciplinary nature of these programs make them some of academia's most exciting areas of inquiry; at the same time, they enable the College to foster closer ties to the increasingly diverse communities that make up the Miami Valley. Endowed professorships would allow us to build on the faculty's record for outstanding teaching and scholarship.

Underwriting the path-breaking work of CUPA, $2 million. CUPA's impact on the Miami Valley has been profound. In addition to generating economic development strategy for the entire region and spearheading community-building initiatives for inner-city Dayton, CUPA trains the next generation of civic leaders and managers. Endowment gifts (which include the opportunity to name CUPA programs) will ensure that businesses, governments, and communities in the Miami Valley can continue to rely on CUPA for transformative ideas, knowledge, and leadership.

Create technologically rich learning environments, $2 million. Learning in the humanities and social sciences-even in areas like philosophy and religion-has become as technologically intensive as that in the disciplines of science and mathematics. Computer laboratories provide liberal arts majors with an opportunity to develop sophisticated technological skills that enhance their employability; web-enhanced instruction allows students ready access to professors and course materials. Gifts will greatly enhance teaching and learning in the College by establishing eight English computer-learning classrooms where all WSU freshmen will be taught; a geographic information system computer classroom; and learning laboratories in communication, foreign languages, and social sciences.

Fostering the spirit of volunteerism and community connection, $2 million. Student volunteers sponsored by the College are a familiar sight in Dayton: they are tutors in Dayton neighborhoods and interns with nonprofit organizations, to name only a few of the important roles they fulfill. Many of the city's schools, governments, and nonprofit organizations would fall far short of their goals without these students' time and dedication; for the students themselves, a College service-learning project becomes the first step on a lifelong commitment to community well being. But administering an effective, large-scale service learning program requires significant resources. Through campaign support, faculty and staff will be able to better link student projects with the needs of government and nonprofit organizations in the greater Dayton community. With campaign support, the College will broaden the scope of its volunteer initiatives, and better integrate service learning into the curricula of the humanities, social sciences, and fine and performing arts. Gifts will also underwrite the College's Summerbridge program, a cooperative effort between Wright State University and the Dayton Public Schools. In 2001, Summerbridge will reach 70 talented, inner-city eighth graders with a program that encourages academic excellence and improved self-esteem; at the same time, the program also offers its Wright State student staff an academic opportunity to experience the challenges and exhilaration of teaching.

Broadening global outreach, $2 million. Students traveling abroad under the auspices of the College are important ambassadors for both the University and the Miami Valley. And, of course, the experiences students gain while performing and studying in different cultures are very often life-changing. With funds from the Campaign, the College can make travel abroad a reality for many more students in the award-winning Model UN program, the choral and instrumental ensembles, and the departments of Classics, Political Science, Modern Languages, and History.

Showcasing exceptional creative talent, $2 million. Campaign support will ensure the high quality and continuity of The Fogdog Review, the English Department's literary magazine; the University Art Galleries, which mount exhibitions of both student and community members' work; the much-lauded Musical Theatre program, the opera, the Wind Symphony, the Madrigal Singers, and the Paul Laurence Dunbar Chorale.

Reinvigorating performance venues, $6 million. The 25-year-old Festival Playhouse and Concert Hall in the Creative Arts Center are two of the Miami Valley's leading cultural venues, and serve as the classrooms for theatre and music students. To ensure both performances and educational experiences of the highest order, both facilities need to undergo comprehensive renovation to update equipment, improve acoustics, and accommodate the increasing audience size.

Through its teaching, scholarship, and service efforts, the College embodies the values of the liberal arts in the fullest sense of the term: using knowledge and ideas to open up the minds and possibilities of people from every background. With your support, the College of Liberal Arts can build on its achievements, and ensure that its important and innovative work continues.