Of the 49 departments and programs within CAS, more than ten are primarily international in scope, and dozens more have an international component.
Scott Coltrane is Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences
You have probably noticed that each issue of Cascade features articles with an international angle. Recent issues have showcased faculty specializing in health in Africa, women's work in China, politics in Pakistan and the practices of Islam, to name but a few. As you browse this issue, you will find a similar global reach.
This is not the result of a deliberate plan to highlight a few unique international programs in the college. Rather, it is evidence of how thoroughly globalized the College of Arts and Sciences has become. CAS goes both deep and wide in terms of conducting original research on a global scale and does a phenomenal job extending that expertise by teaching students in the classroom.
Of the 49 departments and programs within CAS, more than ten are primarily international in scope, including our International Studies Department (formerly a program) that is home to more than 150 majors. From the newest (African Studies and Latin American Studies) to the oldest and best-established (Romance Languages, East Asian Languages and Literatures), these departments together account for more than 1,000 undergraduates majoring in internationally focused disciplines. And many thousands of additional UO students take classes in these departments during any given term.
Dozens of additional CAS majors also have a strong international component -- like Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Linguistics and the new Cinema Studies major -- and these of course touch even more students. In fact, global awareness and literacy are part of a primary strand that pulls through almost every discipline in CAS. Even in the sciences, cross-cultural awareness and communications skills are increasingly important as UO researchers and science students take part in international projects and initiatives. Furthering our international goals, about one in five CAS faculty hail from countries outside the U.S.
At a time when some universities are scaling back language instruction in response to economic constraints, our commitment to language study is stronger than ever. CAS now offers 20 languages that students can study for their language requirement -- a list that encompasses the expected (French, Spanish) and the perhaps unexpected (Anglo Saxon, Swahili). We have one of the largest undergraduate programs in German and one of the oldest Japanese language programs in the nation. One of our newest offerings -- Arabic -- will soon be housed in the Department of Religious Studies. We believe proficiency in a second or even a third language is not a luxury in today's global environment -- it's increasingly part of the total package of preparedness for life in the 21st century.
Two of the "big ideas" approved by UO as part of its academic planning process focus on internationalizing both research and teaching: "Global Oregon" and "The Americas in a Globalizing World." These interdisciplinary efforts, instigated by CAS faculty and supported by CAS leadership, are geared toward making research and general education at UO even more international than they are now.
These efforts will be supported by the many vibrant research institutes and centers on campus that were specifically established to bring together CAS faculty to explore international, multicultural issues in depth. We're very intentional about promoting a rich interdisciplinary environment and offering a unique opportunity in the state of Oregon, for faculty and students alike.
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