A Message to the Students

Welcome to the College of Arts and Sciences, the oldest and largest of Fairfield's six schools. The College is home to 15 departments and 17 programs, led by more than 150 full-time faculty members. Over half of all Fairfield University students - around 2,000 in any given year - focus their studies in the College.

The College of Arts and Sciences is also the home of the core curriculum, which unifies the education of all Fairfield undergraduates. Rising from our Jesuit mission and the liberal arts educational tradition, the core provides the foundations for broad professional success and satisfying personal relationships, community engagement and global citizenship, and lifelong learning based on rigorous inquiry and critical reflection.

To your left you will find information about majors and minors in the arts, humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social and behavioral sciences, along with two interdisciplinary majors, 16 interdisciplinary minors, and other specialized academic programs and services. In the College you will find myriad courses and programs of study, along with expert and caring faculty, all of which will help you pursue your interests and educational objectives.

In order to help you make the most of your time here, let me offer the following advice and encouragement.

1. Discover and follow your passions. Fairfield's core curriculum offers you an opportunity to experiment and find out what excites you, what calls to you. Have confidence that if you follow your passions, you will be well prepared for whatever career you choose. As well, however your professional journey unfolds and whatever life choices you make, you will find that you need preparation in many disciplines to solve any problem or reach any goal. Your future will require that you encounter, appreciate, and develop the ability to utilize vastly diverse perspectives and modes of inquiry, and that you can "go global" with your interests, abilities, and aspirations.
2. Take responsibility for getting what you want from your college experience. There can be no doubt that Fairfield University offers a top-quality education and many advantages derived from our beautiful campus, our ideal geographical location, and our impressive faculty, students, and alumni network. But none of these benefits will come knocking on your door - all require you to be curious and active. Get to know your classmates and professors. Take advantage of peer and faculty advising and mentoring. Get involved with residential learning communities. Share your ideas with your peers and find out what they are studying, thinking about, and doing. Seek answers to your questions and support for your needs. Encouragement, assistance, and collaboration are just waiting for you.
3. Engage with opportunities outside of the classroom. Internships, collaborative research with faculty, community service opportunities, and study abroad are all occasions to cultivate awareness of the world beyond the classroom, to encounter diverse life experiences, to develop leadership skills, and to connect your formal academic study to other contexts. Your college education is not bound by the walls and gates of the campus or constrained by the clock marking the beginning and end of class. Take an integrative approach to your education and it will make these years even more meaningful. As you discover the world beyond our campus, I hope you will learn to be guided as much by your compassion for and responsibility to others as you are by your own passions.

Finally, have fun! These are sure to be four of the best years of your life. During your time at Fairfield University you will be inspired and challenged, you will develop lifelong friendships with your peers and among the faculty, and you will experience immense personal growth. Four years may seem like a long time, but as the graduating seniors will attest, the years go by very quickly. So don't delay! This is a chance like no other.

I look forward to sharing your journey with you,

Robbin D. Crabtree, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences