College of Arts and Letters

The College of Arts and Letters is a place where theory meets practice and expression meets experience. Guided by faculty who are talented artists and distinguished scholars, students come to CAL to study everything from fleeting 140-character tweets to enduring works of classic literature. The College is home to eight collaborative and innovative academic departments: Art and Design, Communication, English and Writing, Film, Animation and New Media, Languages and Linguistics, Music, Philosophy and Religion, and Theatre and Dance.

College Mission Statement

As a community of scholars and artists, the College of Arts and Letters engages in cutting-edge creative work, technological innovation, critical scholarly practice, and engagement with diverse communities. Collectively we affirm the value and importance of the arts and humanities in contributing to a more rewarding and just life. The eight academic departments of the College of Arts and Letters value theory, practice, and cultural and historical awareness. We encourage students, staff and faculty to be creative, innovative, and discerning. In classrooms, studios, laboratories and venues across campus and across the globe, students and faculty work collaboratively to become effective communicators, ethical decision-makers, and expressive meaning-makers who embody thought in action.

College Vision Statement

We, the students, faculty, and staff will be the creative, intellectual, and cultural center of the University of Tampa as well as the greater Tampa Bay community. The College of Arts and Letters will serve as a national model for advancing the arts and humanities in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs that give students the resources they need to find success and create a more civil, humane, and just world. Through an exceptional and diverse program of public events, the College of Arts and Letters will serve as a model in connecting the campus with local and global communities in transformative ways. 

Our Values

• We value enriching the cultural life of the university and community by continually presenting high-quality performances, exhibitions, scholarship, readings, screenings, and recitals. 
• We value mentoring students to become creative, critical thinkers and ethical communicators in diverse global contexts.
• We value providing opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to use emerging technologies creatively, effectively, and ethically.
• We value assisting students in acquiring the ability to critically assess the works of others as well as their own.
• We value engaging students and faculty in collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary environments with an understanding of the historical, present, and future directions of their disciplines.
• We value cultivating and sustaining the artistic and scholarly pursuits of students, faculty, and staff.
• We value fostering a climate of tolerance, trust, and respect that encourages a diversity of persons, opinions, and beliefs.
• We value providing and maintaining safe, effective, efficient, and inviting college facilities.
• We value providing students, faculty, and staff with the resources necessary for excellence in teaching and learning, research, and creative activity.
• We value preparing students for a successful and rewarding life post-graduation.