College of Liberal Arts
Dean: Andrea Talentino
The College of Liberal Arts is composed of the School of Justice Studies and Sociology; the Department of English and Communications; the Department of Modern Languages; the Department of History and Political Science; and the Department of Psychology and Education. In addition, the college is the administrative home of courses in philosophy and music.
Mission Statement
The mission of the College of Liberal Arts is to provide a comprehensive education that prepares students to think critically and creatively, to value and pursue inquiry, to gain knowledge, and to express themselves effectively in oral, written, and visual forms. Through its Humanities programs the College seeks to bring students to a sophisticated understanding of the stories, histories, and ideologies that inform our collective and personal identities and perspectives, and of the languages that mediate them. Through its Social Sciences programs the College encourages students to engage and illuminate the complexities of social, cultural, and political interactions, past and present, and to seek empirical answers to the ambiguities of human cognition and behavior. Uniting both, the College asks students to develop cross-disciplinary understandings that recognize the complementarity of scholarly disciplines as they reflect a world of diversity and change. Through intellectual and professional application, students of the College of Liberal Arts are expected to examine and shape their own conceptions of themselves and their roles within communities beyond Norwich University, and develop the skills of thought and expression critical to any career.
Co-Curricular Activities
Through its academic programs, the College of Liberal Arts sponsors publishing, broadcasting, and performance activities open to all students of the university. These include the student newspaper, The Norwich Guidon; the student-produced video news magazine, Our American Journey; the campus literary magazine, Chameleon; the student radio station, WNUB-FM; the campus theatrical troupe, The Pegasus Players; and such musical organizations as the Regimental Band, the Grenadiers (a rhythm and blues group), and the Campus Choraleers. These activities are described more fully in the General Information section of the university’s catalog, under the headings Musical Activities, Publications, Radio Station, and Television Program.
School of Justice Studies and Sociology
Director: Stanley Shernock
The baccalaureate program in Criminal Justice at Norwich University provides its students with a liberal arts based education that emphasizes critical thinking and knowledge about crime, criminal law, the criminal justice system, and the sociocultural environment in which human behavior occurs. The program emphasizes the interdependence between theoretical and research knowledge and practice. It also strives to cultivate a commitment to the principles of justice, ethics, and public service and the development of leadership skills.
The School also offers a special minor in Computer Crime and Forensics with scholarships available from the Information Assurance Scholarship Program as well as a Sociology minor .
The Criminal Justice program is certified by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education for the Police Career Incentive Pay Program (PCIPP) or Quinn Bill.
Department of English and Communications
Chair: Kathleen McDonald
Both the English major and the Communications major demand that students write and speak clearly and precisely about historical and contemporary ideas. They provide excellent preparation for many professions and occupations, including law, medicine, teaching, communications, business, government, and military service, as well as excellent preparation for post-graduate study in a variety of fields. In addition to these two majors, the department offers strong minors in English, Writing, Communications, and Philosophy, as well as course work in Music.
The department houses the Norwich literary journal, The Chameleon, the university newspaper, The Guidon and radio station, WNUB, the university’s theater troupe, Pegasus Players, as well as co-sponsoring the visiting Writers’ Series lectures.
Department of History and Political Science
Chair: Rowland Brucken
The Department of History and Political Science houses four majors: History , Political Science , International Studies , and Studies in War and Peace . Students can also minor in Political Science and History. Each of these Bachelor of Arts degrees will prepare students for a life and career after college by emphasizing skills related to critical thinking, effective written and oral communication, synthesizing and drawing conclusions from disparate data, and information literacy.
Special academic opportunities include working with faculty one-on-one on research projects during the summer, in independent studies during the academic year, and in a two-semester senior Honors program. The faculty in the department also encourage off-campus study, whether in the Washington, D.C. area or in another country.
Department of Modern Languages
Chair: Frances Chevalier
In an age of ever-increasing internationalism in the arts and sciences, in government and business, and in human relations, the crucial importance of foreign language expertise and cultural sensitivity is more and more apparent. As an essential part of the liberal arts student’s curriculum, the study of a foreign language provides an opportunity to learn about another culture and civilization and thus promotes a better understanding of one’s own culture.
The department offers a variety of courses in Chinese , French , German , and Spanish , which are conducted primarily in the language of instruction. Offerings are designed to give students a thorough mastery of speaking, aural comprehension, reading, and writing skills, insight into cultural practices and perspectives, and an understanding of the nature of language and culture. An extensive language laboratory program offers students a variety of audio and video materials as well as international news broadcasts and other satellite programs in the target language. Electronic study guides are available to students in the computer lab.
Entering students who have had previous language experience and who plan to continue language study are required to take a language placement examination before they are enrolled for classes.
Please Note: Credit earned in the Department of Modern Languages is sequential. That is, except for those applying for transfer, CLEP, or AP credit, students enrolled in, or having completed upper-division language courses ,may not receive credit for lower-level course work.
Department of Psychology and Education
Interim Chair: Kevin Fleming
The psychology program at Norwich has been designed to give the student major a broad based foundation in the discipline. Psychology is a scientific enterprise that attempts to articulate principles of human and animal behavior. These principles are formulated within the context of biological, socio-cultural, and environmental factors. Psychology is both a field of scientific inquiry and a professional activity: it shares its subject matter and its methods with the biological and social sciences, while simultaneously sharing some of the same concerns of the arts; namely, human motivation, emotion, aesthetic appreciation and experience, creativity, and the individual’s relations to the world and humankind. Students pursuing a B.A. in Psychology at Norwich may explore the discipline from the experimental, personality/social, the developmental, and/or clinical perspectives. Upper level practica, internships, or field placements that permit the student practical work experience in a special interest area are encouraged.
The BS in Education is designed to lead to recommendation for licensure for program completers. The BS in Education requires all students to have a double major. Those choosing elementary education may major in mathematics, or the majority of Liberal arts and science areas that are offered at Norwich University. Those who choose secondary education must major in Mathematics.