McAnulty College of Liberal Arts

Administration

Dean: Kristine L. Blair, Ph.D.
Associate Dean: John C. Kern II, Ph.D.

History

In 1878, the Fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost and the Immaculate Heart of Mary established a College of Arts and Letters which was incorporated in 1882 as Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost with authority to grant degrees in the arts and sciences.  In 1911, the College and University Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania extended the charter to university status and approved the amendment in favor of the corporate title, Duquesne University.  In 2002, the University’s name was formally changed to Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit.

Statement Of Mission And Objectives

Throughout history, education in the liberal arts has produced, nurtured and transmitted civilization's greatest ideas and accomplishments.  Study of the liberal arts prepares students for the future.  It teaches them to seek the truth, to understand the knowledge and values of many disciplines, and to bring these insights to bear on modern problems in a world of change, complexity and diversity.

The McAnulty College of Liberal Arts is at the center of Duquesne University's Education for the Mind, Heart and Spirit.  Founded in 1878 as the first of the University's schools, the College embodies both Duquesne's Catholic tradition and its ecumenical atmosphere.  We strive for academic excellence, search for truth, aspire to live a virtuous life, respect the dignity of the human person, foster a spirit of service to the poor and to all others, and seek to build the communities in which we live and work.

A liberal arts education provides the practical intellectual framework for informed choice that leaders require in the 21st Century.  Successful leaders must have the skills that a liberal arts education best cultivates:  disciplined thought, careful analysis, articulate presentation of ideas, and organized and persuasive writing and speech.  They also need the human values and broad perspective that are hallmarks of graduates of the McAnulty College.

Mission

The College prepares students for productive and creative lives of service in a rapidly changing world.  We teach students to think, write and speak clearly and critically, so they can seek truth about God, themselves, and society, and contribute to their families, communities, businesses and professions.

Education for the Mind, Heart and Spirit at the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts:

• shapes the essential skills of written and oral communication that are the basic building blocks of a successful career in any field;
• trains students to use the most current technologies for their chosen fields of study and to appreciate the place and contribution of those technologies;
• encourages the international competence important to succeed in the global community;
• provides the instructional excellence and sophistication necessary for students to succeed in graduate training for the learned professions;
• establishes the broad foundation of knowledge necessary for lifelong learning and career flexibility in a rapidly changing world;
• guides students in their spiritual development;
• makes available opportunities for students to use their knowledge and skills to serve others;
• encourages students to contribute to their families, their professions and the communities around them;
• reinforces enduring values that give meaning to life and work and that lead to happiness and fulfillment.