Welcome

About the CLA

The role of the College of Liberal Arts at a premier 21^st century polytechnic institution such as Cal Poly is two-fold: At its core, our disciplines—in the arts, humanities, communications, and social sciences—supply the essential elements educated men and women require to enter into the worlds of life, work, and civic responsibility that await them. The humanities at Cal Poly, for example, provides for the same continuities of knowledge, habits of mind, and critical inquiry that inform all those who seek a secure grounding in literature, philosophy, languages, and cultures.

At the same time, the College of Liberal Arts at Cal Poly has a wider and somewhat uncommon opportunity to collaborate with multiple polytechnic disciplines. This results in our graduates receiving the kind of rich interdisciplinary education that will prepare them for the many challenges ahead as they become educated, conscientious members of a global, technological community.

This role—to educate students in their disciplines while providing them with a strong polytechnic, interdisciplinary understanding—informs our CLA motto: Learn Lead Live.

Faculty and staff at the September 2006 unveiling ceremony of the College of Liberal Arts sign, designed by Katherine McCormick (ART). Photo credit: Renee Lowe Photographs (Art '04)