Distinguishing academic quality

What truly distinguishes the best colleges is their emphasis on substantive intellectual inquiry. The superb quality of JMU’s academic program is a much better kept secret than the renown we have earned for our welcoming and supportive atmosphere. As associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters, I observe both every day. It serves to remind ourselves — our faculty, students and alumni — how good we really are.

At JMU, students learn by doing. Over the years, our undergraduates have established a national reputation for outstanding research, presenting their findings at local, regional, national and international professional conferences. Their research begins in classes, where students are carefully mentored by engaged and well-credentialed faculty members.

JMU also hosts one of the largest student conferences on the East Coast. During 2011 Mad-RUSH (Madison Research by Undergraduates in the Social Sciences and Humanities), students presented their research following the same professional methodologies as keynote presenter Matthew Wasniewski (’91, ’94M), historian of the United States House of Representatives. Student presenters were exhilarated to discover that they were indeed experts on their chosen topics. Professors thought their papers compared favorably with those presented at top professional conferences.

Student essays illuminate the spirit of curiosity, inquiry, creativity and hard work that characterize undergraduate research at JMU across all the disciplines. They demonstrate outstanding skills in critical thinking, writing and oral communication. Some wags may argue that few graduates will spend hours discussing Milton, the nature of good or the causes of the French Revolution around the water cooler. However, the skills and knowledge our researchers accrue enable them to identify and grapple effectively with the complexities of the big questions that face each generation. Intellectual dexterity like this is invaluable throughout life.

— J. Chris Arndt, associate dean, College of Arts and Letters

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