Vision

In a complex world whose workings are increasingly technological, we must help our students understand technology on its own terms. No longer are technologies simply used to control our environment; they have become our environment. This basic fact presents a challenge which the liberal arts must address if they are to remain vital.

Adapting to the demands of information technology also presents an important opportunity for the liberal arts. On the one hand, training within the liberal arts promotes competencies demanded by the high-tech world: critical thinking, careful reading and clear writing, effective communication and problem-solving. On the other, information technology enables teachers to extend their interactions with students beyond the bounds of the traditional classroom, while it gives students new tools to pursue timeless questions. The Technology Across the Curriculum Program represents a programmatic effort by the College of Arts and Sciences to make the most of these two mutually reinforcing tendencies.

The Technology across the Curriculum (TAC) program is guided by the same values which guide the College of Arts and Sciences in general. Dean Daniele Struppa has outlined six core values for the College and we have adapted them to the unique challenges of TAC:

Integrity: TAC projects are supported by a fair and consistent funding process that advances the objectives of the liberal arts curriculum;

Openness: TAC projects are presented to the community in public forums and through materials presented on this website;

Collaboration: Faculty participating in TAC share knowledge and expertise in a collegial and continuous fashion to strengthen the College and the courses it offers; the Dean's Office works closely with CAS faculty and other units of George Mason University to provide the best possible environment in which to develop TAC projects;

Service: The Dean's Office supports faculty participating in TAC by providing timely advice, coordinating the best and most appropriate resources available on campus, and fostering a sense of community among its participants, especially those working on related problems across disciplines;

Continuous Improvement: Through the regular mechanisms of the funding process and through continual monitoring, the TAC program aims to steadily raise standards and promote reflection on technology-enhanced teaching and learning; wherever possible and appropriate, TAC encourages adherence to identifiable benchmarks, goals and best practices, independent assessment of project impact and constructive criticism of practices;

Creativity: The TAC program is committed to fostering creative approaches to pedagogical problems. To that end, we encourage uses of technology that promote active student engagement with the course material.

Connecting all six of these core values is the underlying commitment to the liberal arts curriculum. Our goal is for all TAC projects to demonstrably advance that commitment.