Letter From The Dean

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES (ARHU) at the University of Maryland is a vibrant community of scholars and artists working across an array of disciplines. For generations, our work has shaped how people understand the world and one another—and today, it’s more essential than ever. In a time marked by rapid change and global challenges to peace, democracy, environmental security, and human rights, we bring the power of the arts and humanities to bear on the grand challenges of our time. Our strategic plan reflects this urgency, while also looking ahead to a more just, creative, and connected future.

Our work is both timely and timeless: timely because it responds to the pressing issues shaping society today; timeless, because we have always turned to the arts and humanities to navigate moments of upheaval, change, and possibility. Across disciplines, we ask hard questions, examine lived experiences, and generate new knowledge. We help students build essential skills—like empathy, critical thinking, and communication—that prepare them not only for meaningful careers but also for lives of purpose.

Our scholars and artists value all peoples, cultures, and communities. ARHU is a place where diverse perspectives, identities, and modes of learning are not just welcomed but vital. Here, students, faculty, and staff come together to imagine and help build a better future for all.

This strategic plan provides a fresh canvas for creating a living portrait of a college that is responsive, enduring, and powerfully human!

Stephanie Shonekan, Dean and Professor 
College of Arts and Humanities