Letter from the Dean

When I was a college student writing papers, I used a trusty portable typewriter. No hard drive, no RAM, no spellcheck. My graduate thesis was typed—and then completely retyped—due to an error in one reference throughout. In our contemporary high-tech world, these memories seem positively quaint.

	David Hodge

Now technology has permeated every department in the College of Arts and Sciences, sometimes simplifying time-consuming tasks and sometimes completely redefining what is possible. The latter is particularly exciting to witness.

In my own field of geography, I have seen the tools of the trade—including maps, graphs, charts, and geographic information systems (GIS) technology—evolve. These changes have not only made my work easier but have expanded research possibilities. It is not overstating it to say that technology has been transformative to how we think about our research and teaching.

The same is true in disciplines throughout the College. In the visual arts, students and faculty have been able to do unbelievable things with new high-tech tools. Technology has enabled them to create works that formerly lived only in their imagination. Some examples are highlighted in this newsletter.

For those at the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS), technology is at the very heart of their enterprise. DXARTS is a new interdisciplinary program that creates new art that no one has ever imagined, using new technologies. Established in 2001, the Center will move into a new state-of-the-art facility in December 2003.

Another new A&S program has been transformative in a different way. The College offered its first Discovery Seminars—small seminar courses designed specifically for entering freshmen—in September 2003, one month before the start of autumn quarter. Taught by some of the University’s most engaging faculty, these courses explore compelling topics, ranging from religious sects to the Apollo missions, while introducing freshmen to research basics and the frame of mind of scholarly inquiry.

Discovery Seminars are really about shaping students’ vision of college — transitioning them from thinking of themselves as students to thinking of themselves as learners. The distinction is important. At a major research university like the University of Washington, opportunities for active inquiry abound, but first we must challenge our students to think like scholars.
The most exciting part of the Discovery Seminars is what comes next. The participants, just starting college, will now approach learning differently as a result. They will have higher expectations for themselves, their courses, their professors, their college experience.

In the coming years, we hope to increase participation in Discovery Seminars, reaching a significant portion of the entering class. These students will become agents of change, challenging their peers and professors for the rest of their education. They will make us all the better for it.

Sincerely,

David Hodge
Dean
206-543-5340
hodge@u.washington.edu

[Autumn 2003 - Table of Contents]