College of Liberal Arts and Education

Department website: https://www.uwplatt.edu/college/liberal-arts-education

Interim Dean: Dr. Hilton Kelly
Associate Dean: Travis Nelson
Assistant Dean: Carrie Van Hallgren

Email: lae@uwplatt.edu
Office: 160 Gardner Hall
Phone: 608.342.1151

School

Departments

Additional Programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Education

Mission

The mission of the College of LAE is to provide a broad foundation of knowledge for all students, fostering an appreciation of the complexity of human nature and the diversity of human experience. The college accomplishes this in two ways: by providing liberal studies courses that form the foundation of a university education and by offering a variety of major and minor programs that may be used as a basis for career development.

Liberal education courses foster development of flexible, critical, reflective, and divergent thinking as well as skills in oral and written communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. All of these skills form the foundation for lifelong learning and global citizenship, preparing students not only for their chosen careers but for their personal lives as citizens and adults.

The college provides in-depth study in the liberal arts as well as many programs leading to certification to teach.

The college’s outstanding faculty has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching, research, service, teamwork, and other academic achievements. Faculty members view their principal responsibility as teaching. They take pride in advancing their majors in liberal arts and professional programs and engaging in productive interactions with members of the community.

Education Abroad Program

UW-Platteville students are able to participate in more than 700 different programs abroad, including study abroad, exchange, student teaching, internships, service learning and volunteering, and research. These credit-bearing programs embrace more than 200 different areas of study and range in duration from two weeks to one year. Students are able to go abroad for a semester, an academic or calendar year, or over the spring, winter, and summer breaks on a short-term program.

Programs are available in more than 50 countries all over the globe. Students earn credit toward their degree and make an investment in their future. For more information, go to: https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/education-abroad, visit 111 Royce Hall or email studyabroad@uwplatt.edu.

Applied Learning

The College of LAE offers classroom, computer, and laboratory facilities. State-of-the-art multimedia lecture rooms are used by our faculty, and many departments have computer labs that facilitate interactive learning. The Williams Fieldhouse provides up-to-date facilities for health and physical education programs, including a dual-purpose laboratory/lecture space. The Center for the Arts includes a 565-seat concert hall with excellent acoustics, a 200-seat theater, rehearsal halls, faculty studios, and numerous practice rooms.

Internships and Co-ops

Various departments and programs provide students with opportunities to pursue work experiences through internships and co-ops. Students are able to use their classroom knowledge to solve real-world problems under the careful guidance of mentors and the supervision of university faculty members. These and other experiential learning opportunities offered by College of LAE departments and programs ensure that students are prepared to enter the workforce and pursue their career endeavors.

Policies and Procedures

Students enrolled in the College of LAE may earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. The college offers both of these degrees in most programs.

A degree program consists of three parts:

  • liberal education requirements
  • major requirements
  • minor requirements and/or electives

The liberal education component has been established to provide all students, regardless of major, with a solid foundation for lifetime learning that is essential for successful personal and professional development. Because the liberal education requirements are also intended to aid students in advanced college studies, they should be completed during the freshman and sophomore years.

In addition to the liberal education component, each degree candidate must complete a major offered in the College of LAE. A typical major program requires 36 credits.

Comprehensive majors require 60 or more credits. A minor (usually 24 credits) or second major (within or outside the College of LAE) is optional. In teacher education, students are required to have an approved comprehensive major, an approved major and minor, or two approved majors.

The College of LAE has added the following stipulation to its degree programs:

  • To earn a major, minor or certificate in the College of LAE, a student must have a minimum G.P.A. of 2.00 in all courses taken for the major, minor or certificate program. Individual departments within the college may establish higher requirements than the minimum set by the university or college for majors, minors and/or certificates.