College of Arts and Sciences Fund

Providing Transformational Opportunities

In the College of Arts and Sciences, the theme of everything we do is cross collaboration.

Dean Brian Vanden Heuvel PhD

At the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), we’re continually evolving to meet the needs of our campus community and beyond. Because as our region changes, so does our student population. As a home for students with a passion for liberal arts, we are recommitting to people and community by reimagining what we, as a college community, can accomplish together.

Higher education is amid a revolution: established skills are becoming automated, and the nature of employment is changing. However, we continue to uphold Salem State’s mission and embrace a humanistic vision of higher education. The habits of mind, dispositions and lifelong learning–all gained through the study of the liberal arts–will be more valuable. Our faculty scholars are on the frontlines of research, continuously and intentionally updating their pedagogy to respond to the needs of the classroom. No matter the direction of your academic journey, the critical thinking, communication and analytical skills you acquired while at Salem State will serve you indefinitely.

We’re working toward a brighter future for our school, equipped with brilliant faculty from all walks of life, who have creative, innovative ideas, and imaginative students who want to look at the world through a new lens. We are reaching across departments to identify and solve problems and advance undergraduate research, curriculum development, student mentorship, and readiness support.

The Meet the Moment™ campaign will help us to continue fostering collaboration among our disciplines, building pathways to success and having greater impact in the communities we serve. Because our people and our community are our passion.

This campaign has the potential to provide more experiential learning opportunities for our students, mentoring support needed to persist to graduation, facilities to aid research development, and opportunities to collaborate and learn from one another.

Help us meet the moment .

Experiential Learning: research, internships, faculty-led trips

We need to immerse students in the real world, expand their cultural awareness, connect them with mentors and future employers, and position them to hit the ground running after graduation. Our investment in student success strategies also focuses on creating those hands-on, life-changing opportunities: from internships with leading Greater Boston businesses to collaborative international experiences that broaden students’ intellectual and personal horizons.

Collaborative Learning Environments

We have a goal to create a collaborative learning environment that spans disciplines and encourages students and faculty to work together to accomplish shared objectives while encouraging personal expression. Such environments are adaptable to the changing educational landscape by emphasizing critical thinking skills and strategies that improve efficiency, allowing faculty to facilitate collaborative learning environments where small groups of students build off of each other's knowledge.

Student Success Initiatives

We are a home for students with a passion for liberal arts. For the hundreds of undergraduates who arrive on campus still deciding on a major, they find countless opportunities to explore career paths and advisors who help them along their journey to graduation, keeping them engaged and well-informed of resources.

Once students decide on an academic major, the College of Arts and Sciences is there to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum, with hands-on learning opportunities with experts who care deeply about student success.

No matter the direction of the student’s academic journey, we must provide the resources to ensure career readiness, developing the in-demand skills that will have a real impact on the future.

Gearing up for success

Laura Laranjo in front of a white board while teaching her biology class

Laura Laranjo PhD, assistant professor of biology

“If no one had invested in me, I wouldn’t be here. We owe it to our students — and their futures — to invest in them, too.”

Ryan Goodwin wearing glasses and smiling at the camera

Ryan Goodwin '15, costume shop supervisor

“Supporting tools and technology is critical to student success. Not only do resources cultivate creativity and fuel the sense of belonging on campus, but they also prepare students for real-world working environments.”

Clifmon Leroy has his arms crossed smiling at the camera while wearing a brown sweater and gold chain

Clifmon Leroy '22

“Supporting the arts is important to education overall. The arts are a way for people to express themselves, work out ideas and stress creatively, and think about how various human emotions express themselves across media — including in science and politics. Art is vital.”

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