CLA Day
Good afternoon everyone! Happy CLA Day! My name is John Coleman, and I’m the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
I want to welcome all of you to CLA Day as we celebrate the College of Liberal Arts’ 150th anniversary! I want to thank President Kaler and Regent Lucas -- and all of you -- for joining us today!
150 years is a significant milestone for any institution, and it’s a good time to ask ourselves -- what does 150 years of CLA mean?
For our students, it means 150 years worth of tests and cramming, late nights, and homecomings. 150 years of friendships, learning, and connections. 150 years of Gopher pride and alumni traditions.
For our faculty, it means 150 years of cutting-edge research and creativity and stellar instruction. It means tackling the most compelling issues we face, like climate change, revolutions in communications and technology, income inequality, and much more. It means 150 years of mentoring generations of scholars, entrepreneurs, and leaders in every field.
For our staff, it means 150 years of supporting the University of Minnesota's land-grant mission of service. It means running our 31 departments and units. It means 150 years of creating an environment where everyone can work at the highest possible level.
And for the State of Minnesota, for the country, and beyond, our anniversary means 150 years of producing independent and original thinkers and innovators. 150 years of forging productive citizens and leaders in their communities and the world.
In the next 150 years CLA will change in ways we can’t even imagine. What will the time capsule we’re starting today look like to students, staff, and faculty in 2168? It’s exciting to think about, and while we can’t predict what will come, I do know a few things.
First, is that the work we’re doing now will build the foundation for a bright CLA future. Second, is that the democratizing vision of our land-grant legacy will remain the core of who we are. And last, I know that we will continue to shatter expectations of what a liberal arts education means and what it offers to diverse individuals and communities -- in Minnesota and around the world.
I want to thank you all again for coming out today.
Before I go, a quick plug. We will be celebrating our 150th anniversary all year long. We have a calendar of events on our website, cla.umn.edu/150 and I encourage you to check out the events we’ll be hosting throughout the year.
With that, I’ll hand it over to the President of the University of Minnesota, Eric Kaler. Thank you for joining us for CLA Day!
