The General Studies Mission

The historic and continuing mission of the William T. Daly School of General Studies is three-fold:

  • Through First-Year Studies, First-Year Seminars,  and the Tutoring Center,  QUAD, and W2 programs, to  provide the strongest foundation in writing, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning for students of all backgrounds preparing to earn undergraduate degrees at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ.
  • Through the University’s unique General Studies curriculum,  interdisciplinary minors,  undergraduate LIBA degree,  graduate programs, and the Honors College, to maintain ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ’s position as a national leader in interdisciplinary studies, which provides students with the broad education necessary to succeed in the modern, globalized economy and as interesting, interested, informed, and engaged citizens.
  • Through Service Learning, the Honors College, Murphy Writing, the Sam and Sara Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, Academic Advising, the ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ Simulation Initiative, and high school dual credit programs, to provide students and community members with access to high-impact educational experiences.

All aspects of this mission depend on the School supporting faculty and staff who are committed to inclusive student success and to ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ’s distinctive approach to education.

The Strongest Foundation for Students

Through the William T. Daly School of General Studies, ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ provides our students with the strongest foundation possible as preparation for their academic and workforce careers and for a life of active learning and engagement.

Thus, through General Studies, students work on many of ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ’s Essential Learning Outcomes, including writing, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning.

While most colleges and universities require multiple non-credit remedial courses that suggest that  students have deficits to overcome, ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ offers only one course that does not count towards the degree. Instead, our First Year Studies program offers a  variety of courses at various levels that build upon each student’s unique strengths and interests.

First-year students at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ also take thematic First-Year Seminars that provide a strong grounding in critical thinking, information literacy, communication skills, the University’s many resources for inclusive success, and the University’s rich opportunities for intellectual, civic, and social engagement.

In addition, the advising and tutoring services provided through the William T. Daly School of General Studies are second to none in providing friendly and timely support for students of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

The General Studies Curriculum

General Studies preserves and fosters the birthright of the human mind: the liberal arts that are  the hallmark of a free society. These include the arts, the humanities, the social sciences, the natural sciences, and mathematics. Moving away from traditional and narrow disciplinary and departmental silos, General Studies at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ provides a robust curriculum, one that culminates in a capstone course that seeks to draw together and synthesize different ideas and areas of study to show how the liberal arts are still of vital importance to our society.

In addition, the General Studies curriculum allows students to pursue minors in a great many areas of importance to contemporary society, including Cannabis Studies, Digital Literacy and Multimedia Design, Disability Studies, Global Studies, Holocaust & Genocide Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Migration Studies, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and Writing.

In General Studies, we prepare for tomorrow by drawing on lessons from yesterday and today.

High-Impact Educational Experiences

The William T. Daly School of General Studies has long fostered a strong commitment to high-impact educational experiences for students and community members. Over the last thirty years, the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center has developed into a premier international center in the field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies Education, creating the first stand-alone Master’s program in the field.

More recent additions to the School – the Center for Academic Advising, the High School Dual Credit Program, the Honors College, Murphy Writing of ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ, the Office of Service Learning, and the ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ Simulation Initiative – have all added to this work in building wide-ranging experiences for students and for community members that stretch the boundaries of the classroom towards an embrace of civic learning and community engagement.

For those whose personal goals or career aspirations aren't met by an existing academic program, General Studies offers a Liberal Studies (B.A.) degree. This program allows students, with guidance of two faculty and the Dean of General Studies, to shape an interdisciplinary course of study that meets their needs and interests.