Letter From the Department Chair 2015

Liberal Studies Students!

We are so proud of our liberal studies students, who not only do it all but truly do it all well. On behalf of these talented students and the department faculty, thank you for so thoughtfully supporting the department. We appreciate all your gifts and all that you do for us.

We also appreciate the support our students receive from Cal Poly. For the second year in a row, Liberal Studies received five $1,200 universitywide scholarships. 

We love our students’ enthusiasm and devotion to the teaching profession; many volunteered in schools or worked with children in other venues to get real-world experience. This summer, students worked at the Galileo summer camp — a project-based camp in the Bay Area — conducted research as fellows in the Science Teacher and Researcher (STAR) program, and worked closely with science faculty mentors in the Cal Poly research program. 

As you know, liberal studies students master a wide range of content, from mathematics and science, to history and language arts, to physical education, and at the same time they often specialize in one area. This year’s 74 graduates were the first to complete concentrations, which replaced the earlier emphasis areas. Many graduates also minored in Spanish, biology or child development or spent a quarter abroad. We had a number of bilingual (and one polilingual!) graduates.

Our creative, thoughtful graduates are ready to be passionate educators and active community members. They are eager to work with students and learn from them. I know you — our alumni, donors and friends — are already making a difference in the lives of elementary or junior high students and will serve as excellent mentors for these new teachers. We’d love to hear stories of what you’re up to. If you have a moment, please drop us a line, and if you’re on campus, feel free to stop by for a visit.