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Strategic Plan for Classics
Context For Planning
- Founded in 2000, the Department of Classics offers a rich and demanding undergraduate degree program in the study of ancient Greece and Rome.
- The curriculum spans the many different aspects of the Greek and Roman worlds from the Bronze Age to the period of the late Roman Empire and early Christianity - their languages and literatures, art and archaeology, history, religious and philosophical traditions, social and legal forms - and examines connections between ancient Greece and Rome and the cultures of other places and times.
- Hallmarks of the program include academic rigor; a student-centered approach; an interactive, face-to-face learning environment within the Department suite; highly qualified, committed, and accomplished tenure-stream faculty.
- The Department serves the undergraduate population at large by providing a range of General Education courses, at all levels, that create opportunities to encounter ancient Greece and Rome and the classical languages through primary sources, textual and material.
- Committed to the improvement of the design of the program and the quality of instruction, the department works to enhance opportunities for critical inquiry and achievement within the curriculum as a whole, through undergraduate research projects, and through co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that engage the campus community.
- As partners in the promotion and development of classical studies locally, regionally, and nationally, department faculty advocate for the relevance of the classical world to contemporary issues and for the enduring value of the classical tradition in contemporary society. Faculty serve as leaders in the university and beyond, disseminate original and groundbreaking research, and demonstrate excellence in teaching.
- Our strategic planning for 2016-2021 is aimed at supporting and
furthering the department's Mission, Vision, and Values and ensuring
access to a high-quality education in Classics at GVSU.
Mission
- Classics is the interdisciplinary study of ancient Greece and Rome.
- The program in Classics fosters the continual exploration of and
critical inquiry into the living traditions and legacies of the
Greco-Roman world with a student-centered, inquiry-based approach.
- Faculty in the Department of Classics are highly qualified
specialists in their respective fields who:
- Contribute teaching to the program in Classics and other programs, including General Education and Honors;
- Pursue active and well-articulated research agendas;
- Offer leadership and service to the department, to the university, and to the profession and the community.
Vision
- The Department of Classics provides a student-centered, rigorous program with a focus upon encountering the languages and the cultures of the classical world, and their traditions, through primary sources, both textual and material.
- Through this work, we will enlarge the state of knowledge in the
field and contribute to the broader community by:
- Sustaining and improving the quality of instruction;
- Enhancing opportunities for student achievement and professional development;
- Supporting the research and the scholarly and professional development of current and future faculty;
- Being a committed partner and an effective voice in the promotion and development of classical studies locally, regionally, and nationally.
Value Statement
- We value Classics for:
- The historical importance of the discipline as the source and origin of the liberal arts.
- Its enduring relevance at the heart of a liberal education in preparing life-long learners who challenge their own cultural and historical assumptions and whose choices are informed by long-term perspectives.
- The urgent and perennial questions that the material we teach
poses about what it means to live as a human being and to
realize one's human potential.
- We value this University's commitment to inclusion and equity with respect to the individuals whose lives we touch and the collegial, welcoming, and student-centered environment we aim to create, in which every door is open and every voice encouraged and empowered to speak.
- With respect to the program and curriculum:
- We value the interdisciplinary nature of Classics and emphasize direct exposure to primary sources, both textual and material.
- We value rigorous training, to a high degree of proficiency, in the diverse methods of inquiry and in the particular areas of study that comprise Classics, including material culture, history, art, philosophy, society, literature, and languages.
- We value helping students develop an understanding of the classical tradition and how the legacies of antiquity create precedents and possibilities in every area of culture.
- With respect to students:
- We value a student-centered curriculum with a face-to-face learning community of students and faculty.
- We value advising as a means to engage with our students in all aspects of their academic life.
- We invest in the success of our students by taking a proactive approach in making them aware of opportunities which equip them to succeed, particularly in the areas of undergraduate research and professional development.
- With respect to faculty:
- We value highly qualified, full-time, permanent faculty.
- We value expanding opportunities and resources for research, scholarship, and development.
- We value high levels of teaching effectiveness as demonstrated by student achievement.
- With respect to the university, the profession, and the community:
- We value making connections through collaboration and the sharing of resources between Classics and other faculty, students, and programs in the university and beyond it.