Mission and Vision of the
College of Arts and Humanities

Pillars and Objectives

1. Provide an inspiring and transformational student experience where graduates are the top creative workforce in Florida and are adaptable and equipped to excel in rapidly changing environments and industries.
   1. Expose students to writing from a variety of geographic, cultural, and historical points of origin so that students can become more complete global citizens.
   2. Train students to grapple with complex ideas and not be satisfied with easy or safe answers.
   3. Give students guided practice in writing analytically and creatively.
   4. Provide students with guided practice with working in groups and/or in peer review so that they can collaborate more effectively with others and across disciplines.
   5. Offer professionalization in all areas of our curricula.
   6. Regularly review our curricula to make certain that our students are receiving a state-of-the-art education.
   7. Develop a technology and innovation focus in each of our tracks on both the undergraduate and graduate levels and consider these foci in all future faculty hires.
   8. Ensure all students graduate with increased digital and information literacy and critical awareness.
   9. Increase the number of HIP (High Impact Practices) courses that we offer.
   10. Help to recruit potential English majors into our programs.
   11. Increase professional pathways for students (such as internships, internal cooperation with other UCF units, volunteer opportunities, etc.).
   12. Actively promote awareness of the employer-desired skills taught by the English major.
2. Embrace innovation while honoring disciplinary integrity to generate transformative research, creative activity, and critical thinking.
   1. More fully integrate technology with the discipline of English. This may include reviewing and revising our core curricula, development of new classes, and/or development of new tracks.
   2. Work with other UCF units in areas of potential collaboration (e.g., medical ethics, AI, cultural studies).
   3. Contribute our expertise to projects that explore the integration or intersection of technology with the humanities.
   4. Connect our work with the wider central Florida community when possible.
   5. Support faculty and students in seeking external and internal awards and recognition.
   6. Explore the possibility of an endowed chair in African American literature or other appropriate field.
3. Be sought out as a key partner for our expertise in understanding and elevating the human experience.
   1. Explore the possibility of increased courses open to non-majors, including (but not limited to) creative writing for non-majors, digital humanities, and linguistics courses.
   2. Strengthen engagement with current and future alumni in the region.
   3. Participate in interdisciplinary and collaborative research initiatives at UCF.
   4. Increase and extend connections with businesses and arts and cultural communities.
   5. Promote the value and flexibility of English skills in the job market.
4. Position English as a leader and model for visionary and responsible leadership that inspires faculty and staff to produce outstanding results.
   1. Hire faculty in ways that reflect changing conditions within the major and foresee probable conditions in the future.
   2. Gather accurate data about our majors and graduate students compared to national and regional trends in order to make decisions that are informed by data but not dictated by data.
   3. Assert and defend foundational aspects of English as a discipline that hold enduring value.
   4. Promote our alumni’s success as testament to departmental support and outcomes.
   5. Publicize our public events (speakers, Writers in the Sun, PARCELS, GWA Reading Series, etc.) more widely and continue developing these opportunities.
   6. Promote and model in our teaching, research, and service a balance between vocation-technical expertise and critical awareness of technology and innovation’s impacts on people and environments.

Mission Statement

The History Department provides excellence in education for the study of how the past informs the course of the future. Our curriculum equips students with essential skills by training them in critical thinking, cultural sensitivity, and respect for diversity. By thinking historically, students develop the ability to ask meaningful questions, analyze complex problems, and produce well-reasoned solutions through research and writing. The department goes beyond delivering knowledge of the past; it prepares students to succeed in their chosen careers or academic paths and encourages active, informed citizenship.

Vision Statement

To be recognized as a leading department in historical research, education (especially through our highly ranked online BA), and public engagement.

Core Values

• Intellectual Rigor
• Public Engagement and Civic Responsibility
• Academic Freedom and Integrity
• Student-Centered Learning

Pillars and Objectives

1. Create an Inimitable Undergraduate Student Experience
   • Revise curriculum to ensure coverage of global, thematic, and interdisciplinary, skills-based content.
   • Expand high-impact practices such as internships, service-learning, and undergraduate research.
   • Increase enrollment and retention in the history major and minor through stronger pipelines for transfer students.
   • Increase access for students to digital technology and resources that expand digital historical literacy and the uses of Artificial Intelligence.
2. Strengthen Graduate Programs
   • Review and refine M.A. curricula for clarity and professional relevance.
   • Increase support for graduate research, conference travel, and professional development.
   • Improve job placement through enhanced access to cutting-edge technology and an expansion of digital literacy.
3. Support and Promote Faculty Research and Teaching
   • Foster a vibrant research culture with active colloquia, working groups, and writing retreats.
   • Increase external grant applications and collaborative research initiatives.
   • Highlight faculty publications and awards more effectively through a spotlight series.
4. Expand Public and Digital History Initiatives
   • Grow public-facing history projects and partnerships.
   • Integrate new digital tools and methods into curriculum and research.
   • Support faculty and student engagement with community partners
5. Enhance Visibility and Outreach
   • Increase alumni engagement and philanthropic support.
   • Improve the department’s digital presence through enhanced marketing.
   • Continue to host events that raise the public profile of the department.

Mission

The UCF Department of Modern Languages and Literatures prepares students for meaningful careers and lifelong learning. At the undergraduate and graduate levels, the mission of all our teaching, research, and service can be summed up in one word: access—to ideas, to cultures, to the world. Through the study of languages, literatures, and cultures, we empower students to engage with the world through multilingual communication, cultural literacy, and global awareness.

Vision

To be a leader in globally oriented, interdisciplinary, and technology-enhanced education that connects languages and cultural studies with real-world impact.

Pillars and Objectives

1. Empower Students Through Culturally Wide-Ranging, Technologically Attuned, and Career-Connected Learning
   • Provide students with the linguistic skills and intercultural competencies needed to be well informed, adaptable, intellectually agile global citizens, prepared to navigate in and contribute to an internationalized, digitally connected world.
   • Maximize flexibility through varied course formats, online programs, and interdisciplinary pathways that help lead students to timely graduation.
   • Increase student participation in high-impact, enriching opportunities such as study abroad, service learning, immersive experiences, and internships.
   • Expand students’ awareness of career opportunities linked to our disciplines, and support career preparedness through strategically designed majors, minors, and certificate programs.
   • Promote student research at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
   • Play a lead role in the exploration and implementation of innovative educational technologies for the teaching of languages and cultures (such as AI, adaptive learning, VR, and digital storytelling).
   • Foster digital and information literacy among students through coursework, independent research, and multimedia projects.
   • Encourage partnerships with STEM departments and other disciplinary areas (e.g., business, health care) for research projects, grants, and interdisciplinary curricular innovations.
2. Enhance real-world impact through community engagement, outreach, and partnerships
   • Strengthen partnerships with industries, nonprofits, and public agencies for experiential and service learning.
   • Deepen partnerships with local schools, the Florida College System, and community organizations.
   • Cultivate interaction with alumni to highlight career pathways and mentorship, and foster avenues of support.
   • Host extracurricular and public-facing events celebrating the cultures represented by our programs in partnership with local organizations with shared interests.
   • Foster collaboration with international educational institutions to enhance opportunities for student and faculty exchanges and research, as well as curricular integration of real-world communication.
3. Cultivate an environment that supports and inspires excellence
   • Support and encourage professional development for faculty and staff through workshops, leadership opportunities, and funding.
   • Support and showcase faculty and student research and collaborations.
   • Encourage faculty to pursue internal and external awards, fellowships, and grants, and actively seek award opportunities for faculty and staff, both internal and external to UCF.
   • Encourage activities focused on creating a positive departmental culture, sharing of best practices, and collaborative and inclusionary governance.
4. Prioritize strategic growth and institutional alignment
   • Increase enrollments and major headcounts in MLL programs through outreach and enhanced communication within UCF and beyond.
   • Maximize use of institutional and college data to help inform planning, hiring, and program development.
   • Maintain alignment between departmental goals and CAH and UCF priorities.
   • Maintain strong core offerings while remaining adaptable in the face of technological innovations, disciplinary evolution, and marketplace fluctuations.
   • Strengthen branding and communications in coordination with CAH to enhance visibility and impact.

Our Values

Nurture – Explore – Partner – Innovate – Transform

Mission

Guided by UCF’s mission and aligned with the needs of the State of Florida, the School of Performing Arts produces outstanding practitioners, educators and scholars in Music, Theatre, and Themed Experiences, while fostering a strong relationship between the community and the artists. The School enhances all programs at UCF with access to high-level performances and emphasizes the importance of creating art while encouraging creativity and innovation across all disciplines. We serve our campus and community with research and creative activities that innovate, inspire, entertain and enlighten. While the sciences explain what makes us live, the arts make life worth living.

Vision

The School of Performing Arts will expand its national and international presence as a performing arts program with emphases in music, theatre, and themed entertainment. We will be recognized for our creative, intellectual, cultural, technological, and professional environment with nationally and internationally recognized faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and professionally successful alumni. We will strengthen connections to the greater Orlando artistic and themed experience communities and offer world-class education that launches professional careers.

Aspirations

1. The leading training program in themed experience through partnerships with Orlando’s theme parks.
2. Florida’s premier performing arts training program.
3. A leader in integrating technology into music and theatre disciplines.
4. The best music educator training program in the state.
5. An educator of top creative talent for regional and global industries.
6. A thought leader and partner of choice for community and industry.
7. Renowned for cutting-edge technology and facilities.

Pillars

1. Prepare students in Theatre, Music and Themed Experience for careers as entertainment professionals and educators in a constantly changing industry

   Goal: Prepare students through rigorous course work in their discipline, with emphasis on fundamentals, and innovation measured through projects, exams, and other formal assessments.

   Action

   • Develop and maintain foundational courses that provide knowledge of history, theory and professional practice
   • Foster practical and high impact experiences through degree requirements and developed opportunities with partners
   • Offer a visionary adaptable approach that meets student and workforce needs while gaining a national reputation for innovation and excellence for the school
   • Develop marketing strategy that attracts wider recognition for the school and its activities
2. Integrate innovation and adaptation to enhance creative activity and exploration of new forms

   Goal: SPA becomes known for its embrace of new technologies that transforms the discipline and discovers new ways to entertain and enlighten

   Action

   • Create a culture of innovation and risk-taking that fosters technological advances in arts disciplines
3. Cultivate a community of artist-citizens who value the arts and humanities

   Goal: Discover new and enhance existing partnerships to elevate the arts and their intersection with the improvement of the human experience

   Action

   • Reach beyond SPA to involve students from throughout the UCF and broader academic community
4. Position SPA as a leader in arts education for its embrace of innovation, the importance of foundational training, and the urgency of transforming our disciplines and preparing students to redefine the future of the arts

   Goal: To attract and retain outstanding faculty and attract excellent students in the pursuit of defining our disciplines and as a leader in arts education

   Action

   • Build a new Performing Arts Center that is a center for innovation and exploration
   • Enhance SPA’s ability to innovate and adapt
   • Attract world-class faculty and graduate teaching assistants

Our Mission

Our mission is to foster a deeper understanding of fundamental questions about knowledge, reality, the cultivation of ideas and values, and human purpose, while preparing students for thoughtful and practical engagement in a complex and changing world. The study of philosophy, humanities and cultural studies, and religion and cultural studies fosters social and cultural understanding and can offer resources to enrich and transform individual and collective cultural understandings, values, and practices. Courses offered as part of these programs develop an appreciation of intellectual and cultural history as this informs our present and future directions as local, regional, and global citizens. As teachers, we foster in our students the skills of critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and conceptual and cultural analysis needed to understand and address complex social and professional issues they have encountered and will encounter. As researchers, we apply these skills to the leading issues of our day, both individually and in collaboration with other scholars and professionals. Through our innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to high-impact teaching practices, original research, practical knowledge, and public engagement, we strive to contribute meaningfully to academic inquiry, the pursuit of wisdom and justice, and the cultivation of an engaged and responsible citizenry.

Our Vision and Aspirations

The Department of Philosophy at UCF is a unique multi-disciplinary department offering undergraduate degree programs and graduate programs in philosophy, humanities & cultural studies, religion & cultural studies, cognitive sciences, interfaith dialogue, and ethics. Our faculty value interdisciplinary engagement, both in research and in teaching. We recognize that shared expertise supports our core values and that our expertise positions us as leaders within interdisciplinary teams. Our programs represent the key expertise of our faculty in critical thinking, ethical literacy, and cultural fluency that enables meaningful and practical engagement with complex problems and thoughtful dialogue from within the humanities and across UCF disciplines, as well as the broader Orlando community. Our department, therefore, plays an important role in the core education of UCF students, and leads UCF in research on the foci of our programs.

We aspire to be:

1. A preeminent resource for critical thinking, cultural fluency, and ethics literacy across research, teaching, and engagement vectors at UCF, and for professional organizations and the community. Our research expertise will continue to strengthen our department and contribute to the work of our colleagues and disciplines.
2. A model for academic programs by crossing disciplines and building transformative experiences through innovative research and teaching practices.
3. A thought leader engaging with Central Florida’s social, professional, cultural, and civic communities as a partner of choice for community and industry.
4. A preparation hub to develop students’ analytical and practical thought and abilities for action applicable to a wide variety of professional and academic pursuits, including technology, medicine, ethics, and environmental studies.
5. An engine for academic excellence driven by maintaining a high research profile in our fields while also demonstrating innovative pedagogy, experiential and practical learning experiences, and high-impact teaching practices in our classrooms.

Pillars

1. Nurture students’ creativity and interdisciplinary curiosity by enabling graduates to succeed and lead in addressing big questions and solving intractable problems and to become engaged global citizens prepared to compete and excel in varied professions and industries.
2. Transform student lives through innovative research and utilizing high-impact practices in teaching that contribute to cultural awareness and literacy while developing practical and marketable skills. We aim to provide multiple opportunities for students to participate in unparalleled experiences within our communities, through research, and in the field.
3. Enrich the educational experience by engaging in innovative research, offering interdisciplinary courses, integrated major tracks, minors, and certificate programs that respond to emerging local, national, and global needs, as well as address the timeless questions of human experience.
4. Inform students through our research, and through the coursework in our programs, where they cultivate skills in reasoning and critical thinking, cultural competency, ethical responsibility, technological knowledge, conflict resolution, leadership, and civil discourse and engagement. Our courses emphasize AAC&U recognized high-impact practices and activities that include digital literacy, global learning, collaborative learning, and practical applications such as site visits and internship opportunities.
5. Collaborate with professional, private, and public sectors to leverage our high-impact practice designated courses to sharpen students’ marketable research, reasoning, writing, and communication skills for a large variety of careers, including applications in technology, ethics, digital literacy, health care, and AI. We demonstrate involvement in these areas in our faculty hires and uses of relevant digital content and teaching methodologies using emerging technologies.

Aspirational Activities

• Increase our Research Profile
• Encourage and Increase Student Engagement
• Retain first-year students
• Make Interdisciplinary Connections
• Enhance and Increase Community Engagement

Mission

Texts and Technology is a rigorous transdisciplinary doctoral program that trains students to critique, invent, and apply information practices in relation to emergent media in and beyond the humanities.

Vision

Imagining the future of the humanities through and with technology.

Aspirations

We aspire to be:

1. An engine for humanities scholarship and digital innovation that transforms how knowledge is created, shared, and experienced.
2. Mentors to versatile digital humanities scholars who drive innovation across academia, industry, and public sectors.
3. Partners for organizations and disciplines seeking to understand and shape human experiences in digital environments.
4. Recognized for pioneering methodologies that redefine humanities research through emerging technologies.
5. Leaders in transdisciplinary doctoral education that adapts dynamically to technological and societal change.

Pillars

1. Provide an inimitable doctoral student experience where graduates are equipped to excel in rapidly changing workplaces within and inside higher education
   • Develop students’ interdisciplinary fluency and digital literacies to position them for success across academic, industry, nonprofit, and public sectors.
   • Embed professionalization in all aspects of the curriculum, including opportunities in alt-ac and hybrid career paths.
   • Provide mentoring and workshops that support scholarly publishing, public writing, and multimodal communication.
   • Ensure all students graduate with advanced skills in digital research tools, information design, and public-facing scholarship.
   • Expand graduate assistantship and internship models to include collaborations with community, cultural, and tech-sector partners.
   • Build and maintain a strong alumni network that supports mentoring, career development, and cross-cohort engagement.
2. Embrace innovation and advance transdisciplinary research through collaboration and mentorship
   • Lead in transdisciplinary research that integrates the humanities with data science, AI, immersive media, and archival innovation.
   • Support faculty-student collaborations in emergent areas such as generative AI, medical humanities, ethical technology, and platform studies.
   • Prioritize projects that critically engage with technology, discourse, and culture through speculative, theoretical, and applied research.
   • Secure resources and infrastructure that allow students to conduct research using cutting-edge digital tools, labs, and platforms.
   • Promote T&T faculty and students as experts in contextualizing technology’s role in culture and society, both historically and prospectively.
   • Increase support for external grants, fellowships, and residencies that advance our transdisciplinary mission.
3. Position doctoral students as partners for understanding and elevating the human experience
   • Position T&T as a thought leader in digital humanities and cultural critique, forging collaborations across UCF and beyond.
   • Create pipelines from MA programs and undergraduate institutions into the PhD.
   • Promote the public value of interdisciplinary humanities through events, open-access publishing, and digital exhibitions.
   • Foster sustained engagement with community, museum, library, and nonprofit partners invested in storytelling, memory, and technology.
   • Participate in and host interdisciplinary initiatives and consortia that amplify the impact of humanities research on urgent global issues.
   • Build relationships with national and international programs in digital humanities, media studies, and technology studies.

Our Mission

Guided by UCF’s mission and aligned with the needs of the State of Florida and the strategic initiatives of the UCF College of Arts and Humanities, Themed Experience (TE) seeks to establish their graduate programs as the premier thought, creative and leader in academia. TE leverages the multiple disciplines within UCF, the unique location in the hub of the Themed Entertainment industry and world-leading faculty to address the needs of a rapidly evolving, interconnected state and international themed experience industry and growing academic discipline.

Our Vision

Powering innovation through connection, creativity and industry access from the epicenter of the themed experience industry.

Aspirations

1. Home to research, creativity, and education that transcends disciplines and builds transformative experiences.
2. The producer of top creative talent for Central Florida and the industries it supports worldwide.
3. A thought leader and partner of choice for community and industry.
4. Renowned for industry-leading faculty and collaboration with thought and creative leaders.

Pillars

1. Cultivate
   • Nurture students’ creativity and interdisciplinary curiosity, and foster core skills to enable graduates to succeed and lead in answering big questions and solving intractable problems.
   • Offer a visionary curriculum that adapts to meet student and workforce needs.
   • Capitalize on faculty networks and unparalleled Central Florida advantages to recruit, retain, and successfully place students in leading companies and fulfilling autonomous careers.
2. Innovate
   • Lead and innovate the integration of technology to create meaningful themed experiences.
   • Harness the possibilities of forward-looking interdisciplinarity.
   • Provide the capital and resources to succeed.
   • Foster a culture of excellence and recognition.
3. Partner
   • Cultivate a community of student-citizens who value the arts and culture.
   • Consistently and intentionally partner within UCF and with other universities.
   • Strengthen and expand relationships with industry, community, and arts partners.
4. Lead
   • Develop best practices in instruction career placement, recruitment and pedagogy to provide a world-renowned student experience and exceptional industry placement.
   • Expand philanthropic activities to support aspirations and invite community leaders to become stakeholders in Themed Experience.
   • Enhance marketing and communication.

Mission

The School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD) prepares innovative thinkers, artists, designers, and producers for evolving careers in the visual arts and design fields. Our graduates will possess the technical, analytical, organizational, and creative skills to become significant professionals in their fields.

Vision

To become Florida’s most distinguished visual arts and design school, competitive with top programs nationally, known for leadership in traditional and forward-thinking arts and design education, impactful research, and cultural contributions.

Values

Our values reflect a commitment to excellence in both traditional and innovative pedagogy, fostering a dynamic learning environment that embraces change and creativity. We prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging connections across fields to enrich scholarship and teaching. We are dedicated to valuing a broad range of perspectives and experiences, recognizing that engaging with varied viewpoints enriches both intellectual inquiry and community life. Community engagement is at the heart of our mission, as we seek meaningful partnerships that extend learning beyond the classroom. We support professional preparedness and student success, ensuring that our students are equipped to thrive in their careers and communities. Finally, we champion research and creative innovation as vital to academic growth and societal advancement.

Aspirations

We aspire to achieve national recognition for the accomplishments of our faculty and students, reflecting the strength and impact of our academic community. Our goal is to prepare graduates who are highly competitive in both the job market and in pursuing advanced degrees. We aim to expand and strengthen our graduate programs, enhancing opportunities for advanced study and research. Central to our vision is fostering a significant arts and cultural impact, both locally and globally, as we contribute to vibrant creative and intellectual communities. We are committed to attracting and retaining world-class faculty with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, and we seek to develop sustainable, entrepreneurial strategies to support and grow our mission.

Pillars

1. Ignite Student Potential through Strategic Success Pathways
   • Continue to improve first-year retention metrics and four-year graduation rates.
   • Refine curricula, capstones, advising, and student support structures.
   • Better prepare students for career success in an ever-evolving professional landscape.
2. Expand Graduate Programs and Research Capacity
   • Increase graduate enrollment and assistantships.
   • Enhance graduate student satisfaction and faculty mentoring.
   • Build pipeline relationships and reputation nationally.
3. Drive Innovation Through Creative Research, Technology, and Partnerships
   • Increase external/internal research funding by 10%.
   • Increase interdisciplinary collaboration on grant proposals and research projects (internal or external units).
   • Expand grant acquisition and philanthropic support.
   • Showcase innovation in design and interdisciplinary practice.
   • Position SVAD as a hub for interdisciplinary, technology-infused creative research in Central Florida.
4. Cultivate and Support Innovation-Ready Faculty
   • Retain and recruit faculty who elevate SVAD’s reputation.
   • Recognize and support scholarly, pedagogical, and research/creative excellence.
   • Make experience with technology integration and interdisciplinary collaboration a desired qualification in faculty hiring.
   • Provide faculty access to assessment and analytics tools for student success, curriculum design, and research planning.
5. Enrich Community Through Art and Design
   • Increase gallery attendance and public engagement by 20%.
   • Expand community partnerships, industry connections, and visibility and develop public-facing, interdisciplinary programming for SVAD events.
   • Enhance UCF Celebrates the Arts, Art Knight, and other signature events.
6. Encourage International Education
   • Increase CAH student involvement by 20% in UCF/SVAD study abroad opportunities.
   • Create and foster partnerships through international contacts.
   • Support and encourage UCF and SVAD profiles on a global scale.

Mission

Our mission is to provide the best education related to women’s and gender issues through our curricular and co-curricular programming on campus to support students and their endeavors. Off campus, we recognize our responsibility to serve the larger Orlando community by striving to build and sustain partnerships that demonstrate the pragmatic importance of the issues concerning our program.

Vision

Our program’s interdisciplinary vision utilizes research and teaching to focus on the relationships between gender and various aspects of race, ability, ethnicity, sexuality, social class, and other differences in our society.

Aspirations

1. An innovative program that anticipates future societal and workplace needs with solutions drawn from the humanities and sciences.
2. A program dedicated to service and connecting the university to local and global communities.
3. An academic program for critical thinking and enhanced communication skills.
4. Known for our mentoring services to young people through leadership and STEAM.

Pillars

1. Provide an inimitable student experience where graduates are the top creative workforce in Florida and are adaptable and equipped to excel in rapidly changing environments and industries
   • WGST curriculum is interdisciplinary in design to engage students in critical thinking across academic disciplines for innovative solutions to societal needs.
   • Our minor and certificate programs enhance degrees in all fields from Engineering to English.
   • Enhance student skills in written and oral communications, empathy and ethical decision-making, thinking outside the box, and connecting theory to practice in the real world.
   • Include service-learning and research-intensive courses to optimize student learning and industry-related projects.
   • Ongoing revamping of courses to stay current and incorporate new and updated pedagogical practices that include increased technology usage.
2. Embrace innovation while honoring disciplinary integrity to generate transformative research and creative activity
   • Incorporate new pedagogical technologies in all courses, especially online courses.
   • Provide a STEM-leadership mentoring program between UCF STEM majors and 7th graders in surrounding counties.
   • Mentor students in their research and connect students with our affiliate faculty across colleges.
   • Provide competitive annual scholarships to students and faculty for innovative research and community work in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies.
   • Require all students minoring in WGST to complete a semester of service learning in our introductory courses.
   • Encourage and support WGST faculty to attend academic conferences and workshops focused on new technologies in higher education.
   • Provide spaces to showcase affiliate faculty research and creative works on campus and within the greater Orlando community.
3. Be the preferred partner for understanding and elevating the human experience
   • Through interdisciplinary research and curriculum, develop well-rounded students who display enhanced empathy for others.
   • Create, foster, and enrich our community partnerships through ongoing collaborative programming.
   • Require service-learning for our minor graduates to provide opportunities to connect and serve their communities.
   • Established reputation within the community for serving others and engaging in empathy and humility with community partners and the populations they serve.

Our Mission

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric empowers writers to be ethical and effective communicators who are prepared to meet the evolving demands of academic, civic, personal, and professional communities. With innovative, technology-rich approaches to language, rhetoric, and literacy, we deliver a robust curriculum that engages writers within and beyond first-year composition, undergraduate courses, and graduate programs.

Our Vision

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric recognizes that empowered writers can shape meaningful change and collaboratively discover solutions to complex problems. Together, we strive to be a statewide and national leader in writing research and to foster inclusive, forward-thinking learning environments that inspire critical inquiry, foster creative rhetorical expression, and lead to impactful communication across cultural contexts, linguistic difference, and technological change.

Our Values

• Engagement: Engage critically with writing, rhetoric, language, literacy, and technology to support students as they develop communication strategies to positively impact local, regional, and national communities
• Connection: Connect writing and rhetoric practices across disciplines, professional networks, and global communities through shared learning, mentorship, and inquiry activities that promote access and prepare students for a wide range of career opportunities, cultural contexts, and technological environments
• Empowerment: Empower individuals to grow as writers through sustained engagement with writing as dynamic, lifelong practice, equipping them with transferable rhetorical and digital skills for professional confidence, successful career transitions, and personal advancement