As one of the world’s great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

Over our 175-year history, LSA has been a world leader in research and delivering an extraordinary liberal arts and sciences education. Along the way, we have invented approaches that have changed higher education and the world. Today, the world faces challenges as daunting and complex as it has ever seen. What is the role of LSA and the liberal arts now? What must be our priorities, and how will we achieve them? Our vision, mission, and core values will serve as guideposts and practical tools as we write the college’s next chapters.

A Community of Values

In this video, LSA Dean Anne Curzan and students, staff, and faculty talk about how the college's values of exploration, common good, inclusion, well-being, and integrity inspire their work. Dean Curzan shares how these core values center our work and actions and enable value-based decision-making.

We are a diverse intellectual community, working together to reimagine the world and create positive, purposeful change.

As a public liberal arts college, LSA’s mission is twofold: 

  • To push the boundaries of what is understood about human experience and the natural world, and 

  • To foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

Exploration. We believe in bold investigation that transforms current assumptions, sparks new ideas, and changes the very questions we ask.

Common Good. We are committed to social impact, working together to advance a more just and sustainable future.

Inclusion. We actively work to increase access, welcome different perspectives, and build a community where each person feels a sense of purpose and belonging.

Well-being. We recognize that taking care of ourselves and one another is a shared responsibility, and that everyone needs support to thrive.

Integrity. We align our actions with our collective values and a steadfast commitment to ethical practice.

What’s next? A college-wide plan of action that arises from the new vision, mission and values. Four bold strategic priorities will sharpen LSA’s collective focus and inform our major investments over the next five years. These priorities are not intended to reflect a comprehensive inventory of the diverse, ongoing work that ensures LSA’s continued excellence; rather they are areas of shared focus over the next five years

Encourage genuine academic exploration. Expand opportunities for undergraduate students to explore the full range of what the liberal arts offer, including robust participation in research.

Mobilize to address pressing societal challenges. Leverage our strength across fields to amplify the impact of path-breaking research and collaborations that lead to positive, purposeful change in the world.

Lead systemic change. Confront the biases and barriers that impede full inclusion - and hold ourselves accountable for their dismantling, both within LSA and more broadly through public scholarship and community engagement.

Foster a culture of purpose and well-being. Transform our practices and processes to better support each individual’s ability to reflect on their work and learning, focus on the work that matters most, and lead a healthy, fulfilling life.

 

 

© 2023 Regents of the University of Michigan