College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Fundamentals

The Deans Musings

This article was originally published in the November 2004 issue of CLASnotes

As important as our cross-disciplinary interactions are, especially in the applied sciences and social sciences, we need to remind ourselves of the critical importance of the fundamental academic disciplines—the essential units of mathematics, English, philosophy, history, the languages, natural sciences, behavioral sciences and social studies.

It is these core units that engage in the basic research that historically has led to some of the most far-reaching discoveries and the formation of new interdisciplinary programs. Inventions which have led to revolutionary technologies and analyses that have changed our understanding of societies and their behaviors have often had their as their origin the research of a challenging academic problem.

Our college has the responsibility of advancing these basic areas of inquiry by energizing fundamental research with support for promising interdisciplinary programs. These new areas will bring experts together in an environment that is free to challenge traditional thought and encourages the exploration of new frontiers. To emerge as a leading international research institution, we must succeed in this endeavor by selecting areas that are unique for UF and can attract the world’s best scholars and students.