Humanists discover and create. They turn self-expression into art. They connect with cultures (including our own) by learning their languages and interpreting their creative achievements. They ponder the big questions a thoughtful mind cannot avoid and add their voices to the great conversation.
The humanities include:
- the Arts
- Communication, Media, and Rhetoric (CMR)
- English
- Creative Writing
- Philosophy
- World Languages
A humanistic education was once reserved for the rich and ruling classes. This once made sense because a humanistic education prepares one to discuss the ultimate aims and pleasures of the state, law, politics, and culture. It is one of the great achievements of democratic educational institutions like Morris that a sort of education once reserved for aristocrats—instruction in Latin, philosophy, poetry—is now available to the rest of us.
Roughly, a field is more “humanistic” as opposed to “scientific” when expert judgment and good taste are necessary to evaluate the quality of the work under scrutiny. A humanistic education is essential in a world where interdisciplinary competence is increasingly necessary, and where leaders and professionals are expected to have both quantitative and qualitative skills. Humanities majors at Morris often double major in scientific or social-scientific fields and enrich their employment prospects and their personal lives by drawing together the skills they learn across our campus.
The Edward J. & Helen Jane Morrison Gallery
The Edward J. & Helen Jane Morrison Gallery is centrally located in the main floor in the Humanities Fine Arts Building. The facility can be ranked as among the best of galleries on small liberal arts campuses in the United States, offering the campus and community exhibits throughout the academic year.
Hasselmo Language Teaching Center
The Hasselmo Language Teaching Center LTC consists of a computer facility including windows computers and one Apple/Macintosh faculty workstation and can accomodate a class of up to 25 students as well as a media screening room that includes a SMART television, a region-free DVD player, a VHS player, a PAL player, and a Google TV media streamer.
Writing Center
The Writing Center offers students the opportunity to meet with one of our consultants (either a fellow student or an English instructor) about their writing. We can work with students on specific papers/assignments and on writing in general.