Welcome to the School of Liberal Arts, home to many of the greatest artists and thinkers of all time. Within our courses luminaries such as Shakespeare, Plato, Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Margaret Mead, Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Edward R. Murrow, Josephine Baker, Beethoven, and Jean Piaget come to life!
Vision
The vision of the School of Liberal Arts at County College of Morris is to be a regional leader in providing its students with a coherent and innovative liberal arts education that helps them to navigate the unique challenges of the 21st century. By graduation, students should have the knowledge, skills, creative energy, and intellectual curiosity to be responsible citizens, critical thinkers, ethical leaders, and members of the dynamic workforce of tomorrow. The School will continue to instill an appreciation of human diversity as it prepares its students for the future. The School honors the community college mission, and, as such, also envisions being a center for creative and critical discourse for all members of the local community, an advocate of the liberal arts, and a supporter of the public in their lifelong pursuits within the disciplines of the liberal arts.
Mission
The mission of the School of Liberal Arts, therefore, is to:
- Offer students degrees, certificates, and courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences that encourage innovation, critical thinking, and creativity across all disciplines.
- Engage with local communities about the role that the liberal arts plays in contemporary, diverse societies.
- Provide the community-at-large with events and spaces that support their interests in liberal arts disciplines such as art, music, poetry, history, and foreign language.
- Empower students to engage as citizens both locally and globally.
- Provide rigorous disciplinary coursework within the General Education foundation of all the programs and degrees at the college.
- Instill an appreciation for the arts and music.
- Promote curiosity and scholarship with faculty as role models.
- Enhance students’ knowledge of experiential learning and workforce opportunities offered by the School.
Departments
Classes in the Art and Design Department will challenge and encourage you to express your creative self through architecture, ceramics, graphic design, interior/fashion/industrial design, painting, photography, sculpture, and virtual reality.
The Communication Department will empower you to develop and interpret effective messages in a world where information travels faster than ever before. The Department offers classes in communication, journalism, and broadcasting.
Faculty in the English and Philosophy Department encourage clear and creative thinking, foster an appreciation for emotionally and intellectually stimulating writing, and raise thought-provoking questions about human beings and the world. The Department houses drama, literature, and poetry, as well as composition and philosophy.
In the History and Political Science Department faculty chronicle the range of significant human events and political structures so that you can become a more engaged and critical thinker. The Department also offers classes in public administration.
The Languages and ESL Department presents the opportunity for you to learn American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish, and to study the literatures and cultures of people around the world.
In the Music, Dance, and Performing Arts Department you will find the excitement of a Broadway musical, the challenge of mastering a musical instrument, the precision of music recording, and the expression of humanity in interpretive dance.
The Psychology and Education Department will challenge you to explore the biological, cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of human behavior, and to discover theories and techniques of effective teaching so as to meet the challenges the 21st Century classroom.
Within the Sociology, Economics, and Anthropology Department you will investigate complex issues and problems found in social institutions and organizational settings, learn about the rich diversity of human beings, study economic markets and models, and learn the principles of making difficult decisions in the face of uncertainty and conflicting goals and values.
We look forward to helping you achieve a reflective, creative, and happy life.
Dr. Thomson Ling
Dean of Liberal Arts