College of

L I B E R A LA R T S

The liberal arts are the cornerstone of a Towson education. Students engaged with the liberal arts explore the world of ideas, values and consequences. In working with texts and data, they practice integrity in representing evidence fairly, in taking responsibility for their own work, and in respecting multiple ideas even in the face of conflict. They develop the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, to organize and analyze, to conduct research, to work as members of a team, to solve problems, and to value civility.

CLAC O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A R T S

CLAThe range of degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts emphasizes development of knowledge and critical methods within established disciplines, study of a particular topic or interest across several disciplines, and preparation for professional career opportunities.

to read, think, speak and write! John Adams

C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A R T S

let us dare

The College of Liberal Arts is in the process of building a new home for our students, faculty and programs. The first phase of the new College of Liberal Arts building will open for the fall 2009 term. Four departments will move to the new building in summer 2009, including Psychology, Foreign Languages, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Women’s Studies. All classrooms in the new building are equipped with a full complement of technological tools in support of teaching, and the building provides spaces for student study and group work. Construction will begin immediately on phase two, the planning for which has been ongoing. Reflecting the commitments of CLA faculty and a continuing concern for student learning, the new building will emphasize classes of limited size, a flexible and technologically sophisticated environment, and multiple interactive learning sites for students and faculty.

AT A GLAN CECultural Studies Major/Minor

English Major/Minor

Tracks

• Literature

• Writing

• English Secondary Education

Minors

• World Literature

• Creative Writing

Environmental Science and Studies Major/Minor

Concentration

• Environmental Studies

Family Studies Major/Minor

Tracks

• Child Life

• Family and Human Services

• Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector

• Services to Children and Youth

Foreign Languages Major/Minor/Proficiency

Tracks

• French

• German

• Spanish

• Literature/Professional Program

• Secondary Education Program

Electives

• Arabic

• Chinese

• Hebrew

• Japanese

• Latin

• Russian

Geography and Environmental Planning Major/Minor

• Geography Secondary Education

Track

• Global Skills

Minor

• Geographic Information Sciences

Geography and Land Surveying Major (with Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville)

History Major/Minor

Track

• History Secondary Education

MAJORS

AT A GLAN CEInterdisciplinary Studies Major

Tracks/ Minors

• American Studies• Asian Studies• Latin American Studies• Animal Behavior• Individually Designed

Thematic Option

Minors • African and

African American Studies• Business, Communication

and the Liberal Arts • Classical Studies• Jewish Studies• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

Transgender Studies • Museum Studies

International Studies Major/Minor

Law and American Civilization Major

Metropolitan Studies Major

Philosophy Major/Minor

Political Science Major/Minor

Psychology Major/Minor

Options

• Clinical Specialization

• Honors Thesis Program

Religious Studies Major/Minor

Social Sciences Major

Sociology-Anthropology Major/Minor

Concentrations

• Anthropology

• Criminal Justice

• Sociology

Combined Majors

• Sociology and Psychology

• Sociology and Geography

• Anthropology and Geography

Women’s Studies Major/Minor

Dual Degree Program

Dual Law Program (with University of Baltimore)

The Classes

An education in the liberal arts is both liberating and practical. A student of the liberal arts acquires tools to examine assumptions freshly and to think outside artificial boundaries. The skills and competencies that graduates acquire prove appropriate to varying job settings as well as for a richer life, because students develop along with their intellectual abilities the attributes of self-reliance and initiative. In learning to recognize and understand differences in cultures and perspectives, they prepare themselves to live and work in a complex metropolitan setting, in a multicultural nation, and in a globally interconnected world.

As a student in the College of Liberal Arts you may collaborate with a professor on a research project, present research on campus or at a national conference, or publish creative or scholarly work in a campus magazine or journal. In the philosophy department, for example, an active student organization publishes a journal and organizes an annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference. A growing number of students engage in internships, and service learning and civic engagement projects that allow the exploration of possible careers, promote leadership skills, and contribute to the larger community. The college also offers a rich array of study abroad opportunities that help shape awareness of an increasingly interconnected world.

PREPARINGWORK

in aINTERCONNECTED

to LIVE and

GLOBALLY

Courses in the College of Liberal Arts

In SPAN 211 with Professor Leticia Romo, students participate in a service learning experience assisting with translation in the context of health care for Spanish-speaking clients.

In POSC 475 White House Communications, Professor Martha Kumar teaches using teleconferencing technology that permits students on campus at Towson University to interact directly with members of the White House press corps and major White House staff and policy makers. Guests over the years have included Daniel Bartlett, communications director for President George W. Bush; Michael McCurry, press secretary for President Bill Clinton; Helen Thomas, dean of the White House press corps; and many others.

Professors take students in Abnormal Psychology to a state psychiatric hospital to tour treatment facilities and to socialize with patients with severe psychiatric disorders. Students invariably find this a “capstone” experience which enlivens their classroom discussions and readings of theories. They realize that people with psychiatric problems are first and foremost regular people, similar to themselves and their loved ones. Often patients tell students about their disorders and the treatments that they are receiving. Following this moving experience, many students decide to pursue graduate degrees in psychology and/or work or volunteer in clinical settings.

WORKFamily Studies seniors in Karen Goldrich Eskow’s seminar teach a learning module to a targeted audience, attend professional conferences and create a portfolio that showcases their academic backgrounds, professional development and various field experiences in the community. This portfolio is often used in career searches after graduation.

in aINTERCONNECTED

WORLD

to LIVE and

GLOBALLY

Our Faculty

The College of Liberal Arts has a large and diverse faculty which values interaction with students and the potential for student growth. Faculty members serve as mentors, guides and research advisers as they work with students through their undergraduate and graduate careers.

Liberal arts faculty members are also scholars. Ninety-five percent have earned a Ph.D. or other appropriate terminal degree. They are the authors of books and research articles, and they regularly present the results of their scholarship at national and international conferences of learned societies. At Towson University, scholarship informs and enriches teaching, supporting faculty members in providing vibrant classes and modeling intellectual engagement throughout their careers.

CLASSES

PROVIDING

VIBRANT

and

ENGAG EMENT

Faculty Highlights

Writers in the Department of English had a banner school year in 2008-2009. Geoffrey Becker’s unpublished novel, Hot Springs, was awarded the Parthenon Prize for Fiction ($15,000). Professor Becker also won the University of Georgia Press’s Flannery O’Connor Prize for Short Fiction. Carol Quinn’s book manuscript, Acetylene, won the Cider Press Book Award, which includes a publication contract and $1,000.

The College of Liberal Arts claimed two recipients of University System of Maryland Regents’ Awards for 2009. Professor Clarinda Harriss of the Department of English received a Regents’ Award for teaching, and Associate Professor Alison McCartney of the Department of Political Science received a Regents’ Award for mentoring. Harriss is the longtime adviser for Grub Street, the student literary magazine that year after year receives the highest awards in Columbia Scholastic Press competitions for student publications. McCartney leads a Model United Nations program and constructs courses that provide exceptional opportunities for students to practice civic engagement.

In the first year of affiliation between the Department of Family Studies and Community Development and the American Humanics program, Towson students have applied for and received $21,000 in scholarship money. Four students received the NextGen scholarship from American Humanics, a onetime $5,000 scholarship supporting student internships in nonprofits. One student also received a $1,000 academic scholarship.

Grant Highlights

Alix Timko of the Department of Psychology received Towson’s first National Institutes of Health R-21 grant in the amount of $216,865 for her project “Acceptance-Based Separated Family Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa,” May 5, 2009, through April 30, 2010 (first year’s funding for two-year project).

John M. Morgan III, Geography and Environmental Planning, “StateView Program Development and Operations for the State of Maryland,” AmericaView, Inc. (under its award from the U.S. Geological Survey), $23,989, September 30, 2008, through September 29, 2009.

Robert Wall, Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, “Geophysical Archaeological Survey of Western Maryland Landscapes,” Maryland Historical Trust, $28,679, July 9, 2008, through December 31, 2009.CLASSESMODELING INTELLECTUALand

ENGAG EMENT

ENTERING A

Career Options

Graduates of the College of Liberal Arts enter the work force in a wide variety of careers, as psychologists, educators, geographic information specialists, interpreters, environmental planners, social workers, writers, businesspeople, law enforcement officers, and public officials, to name a few. Others continue their education in graduate or professional schools, becoming professors, attorneys, counselors, administrators or executives. Regardless of the paths our students take after Towson University, all students make use of the knowledge and skills they acquire in the College of Liberal Arts.

Maria Worthington ’03 is pursuing her law degree. She was a double major in psychology and political science.

W I D E

Where Are Towson University CLA Students Today?

Jeffrey Siefert ’93 earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University and is now a senior analyst for the Congressional Research Service and president of the American Political Science Association’s Internet Technology and Politics section. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

David Adkins ’02 is an attorney and an associate with Arent Fox, LLP, where he works in the Regulatory and Government Relations groups on issues related to legislation in food and drug, and biotechnology.

Carlesa Finney-Thomas ’76 serves as the Civil Rights Liaison for Anne Arundel County.

Many graduates have committed themselves to careers in education, with recent appointments including George Kispert as principal of Old Mill High School, Brian Vasquenza as principal of Brunswick Middle School, and Richard Lilly as vice president of Enrollment and Student Services at the Community College of Baltimore County.

David Malloy ’07 worked as an intern in the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. His position converted to a staff position upon his graduation.

Shannon Avery ’89 is an Assistant Attorney General of the state of Maryland and served on Gov. Martin O’Malley’s transition team.

Sylvia Johnson ’09 graduated as a Family Studies major and joined Teach For America. She will teach early childhood education at DC Preparatory Academy in Washington, DC. At the end of her two-year commitment, she will be awarded a Master’s degree from George Mason University in Early Childhood Curriculum Development and Instruction.

Psychology major Joseph Schuberth ’04 finds creative ways to reach the minds of future students as Towson University’s Associate Director of Undergraduate Marketing.

The geography department regularly sends graduates to positions as GIS analysts in the private and public sectors.

Many graduates serve as counselors and staff in adoption agencies, hospitals, human service agencies, foster care programs and nonprofit organizations.

V A R I E T Y O FF IELDS

Internships, Service Learning and Research

A significant opportunity within a Towson University education lies in professional experience outside the classroom through an internship, a service learning course or a research project. As a student in the College of Liberal Arts, you will have numerous opportunities to grow and learn beyond the classroom. Faculty members help students find real-world experiences that complement their classroom education.

Internships

Internships through the College of Liberal Arts offer clinical and practical experiences where students work in organizations, businesses and community institutions side-by-side with professionals in their disciplines and areas of interest. Students have been placed in more than 40 different agencies serving the community.

Our students have interned at:

Maryland Department of Social Services

Adoption agencies

Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods

Maryland Historical Society

National Park Service

U.S. Secret Service

Museum of Civil War Medicine

Hispanic Apostolate

U.S. Immigration Court

Maryland Commission on Women

Social Security Administration

International Rescue Committee

Crisis intervention centers

Hospitals

Law offices

G O I N G

OUTSIDE

Amanda Bailey, a criminal justice and Honors College student, completed two terms of internship work at the Secret Service office in Baltimore and was offered a part-time job at the Secret Service until she graduates. OUTSIDE

The College of Liberal Arts has launched a three-year series of speeches and conferences related to China and organized by Dr. Steven Phillips, Martha A. Mitten Professor. The first lecture, “The Revival of China as a Great Power and What It Means for the United States,” was given by Richard C. Bush, former diplomat and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Bush is author of A War Like No Other: The Truth About China’s Challenge to America. The second talk, “The China Factor in Africa,” came from Adama Gaye, Senegalese journalist and author of Chine-Afrique: Le Dragon et l’autruche (China-Africa: The Dragon and the Ostrich).

The Obama President’s Cake Competition was held in conjunction with a presentation by Nancy Siegel, associate professor of art history titled An Appetite for Politics: Women as Culinary Activists in the Early Republic. Siegel addressed the genre of cookbooks and recipes from the late 18th century which influenced colonial women to become culinary activists and direct participants in the cause for independence from England. Students and faculty baked cakes with themes connected to the Obama presidency and a panel of judges awarded prizes. Large attendance led to the consumption of vast quantities of cake.

T H E C L A S S R O O M

The Department of History sponsors the Mary K. Kahl Conference for undergraduate history research during which students present research papers in panels and receive comment and critique from professional historians.

An archaeology field school, led by Bob Wall for the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, is held each June in Western Maryland near Cumberland at the Barton Site. Initial findings from the excavation point to artifacts dating back 16,000 years, making this one of the earliest possible sites in the Americas. Each summer several students work with Wall for approximately 10 days, and many archaeologists from around the region also participate. The site was on the cover of American Archaeology, fall 2003, with a picture of Towson students at the dig.

Bethany Brand, associate professor of psychology, takes students to international conferences as co-authors of papers, allowing several of them to help present scholarly findings to rooms filled with clinicians and researchers.

Research

Undergraduate research projects provide a more comprehensive understanding of a discipline and major as well as of a specific topic. College of Liberal Arts students are encouraged to complete a research project. These projects develop both qualitative and quantitative research methods, skills of analysis and expression, and capacities for initiative, self-discipline and independence much valued in the years beyond college. In many cases, students also present their arguments or findings orally to an audience of faculty and peers, gaining valuable experience representing their ideas publicly.

MORE OUTSIDET H E C L A S S R O O M

Founded in 1866, Towson University is the second-largest school in the University System of Maryland, enrolling more than 21,000 students in more than 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and applied professional fields. Towson is known for its excellent academic programs in business, computer science, health professions, education, fine arts, communications, and the arts and sciences. As a metropolitan university, Towson combines research-based learning with practical application. Our many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. The university is located in suburban Towson, eight miles north of Baltimore. Our beautifully landscaped, 328-acre setting offers a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a wealth of university and community resources.

Visiting Towson University

The best way to experience Towson University is to visit campus. Towson hosts several Open Houses for high school juniors and seniors that allow you to meet students and faculty, tour the campus, and learn more about campus life and academic programs. For the dates and times of Open Houses, as well as to schedule a campus tour, visit www.towson.edu/visitus.

Applying to Towson University

Applying to TU is easy. Visit www.towson.edu/discover and click on “Apply Now.” The online admissions application takes less than 30 minutes to complete. You will need to have your standardized test scores sent directly to the Office of Admissions by the testing service and have your high school send official transcripts. For more information about the application process, visit www.towson.edu/discover.

Visit www.towson.edu/cla for more information.

ABOUTOUTSIDE

T O W S O N U N I V E R S I T Y

Off

ice

of

Ad

mis

sio

ns

Tow

son

Un

iver

sity

8000

Yo

rk R

oad

Tow

son

, MD

212

52-0

001

Col

lege

of

Libe

ral

Art

s

No

n-P

rofi

tU

.S. P

ost

age

PAID

Tow

son

U

niv

ersi

ty