Letter from the Dean

Welcome to Dominican University and the Rosary College of Arts Sciences (RCAS), Dominican’s oldest and largest college serving over two thousand undergraduate students.

Dominican students develop competence in and an in-depth understanding of one or more academic disciplines, and RCAS offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nearly 50 minors, ranging from art, to biology, to fashion design and merchandising, to theology. After completing significant course work in a particular field of study, students will have developed a body of work that demonstrates substantial knowledge as well as a growing awareness of the underlying structures of an academic discipline.

According to our Vision for Undergraduate Education, “informed by our Dominican ethos, our students grow as liberal learners through creative and rigorous study marked by solid foundations, disciplinary breadth and depth, and ongoing integration as they aspire to become ethically responsible global citizens.” Each student develops an emerging sense of personal and professional vocation as well through a variety of means, including our distinctive four-year slate of Liberal Arts and Sciences seminars, thoughtful interaction with courses in their major and/or minor field of study, their professors, other students, and intensive advising and mentoring. Additionally, students admitted to the college’s Honors program participate in rigorous courses centered on enduring questions, and which are informed by cutting-edge research and methodologies. Regardless of their chosen major or track, Dominican students learn to become capable critical thinkers who can effectively express themselves.

We encourage all of our students to participate in internships, study away (international and domestic), civic learning, and undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative investigations.

RCAS faculty hold terminal degrees in their field, and while they are regularly involved in scholarly pursuits and are publishing in their respective fields, they are just as committed to excellence in teaching and advising. Class sizes in RCAS are relatively small, assuring close and regular academic interaction between students and instructors. In addition, faculty hold regular weekly office hours and meet with their students in regular one-on-one conferences.

Upon graduation, students often remark on the value of their Dominican education, as well as the professional relationships they have formed with their professors. More important, Dominican University graduates possess the character, knowledge, and skills to take informed, ethical action in the world and to influence others for the good.

If you are interested in Dominican University, particularly the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences, please take time to explore further the many and varied RCAS programs of study.

Thank you for your interest in Dominican University and the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences.

Sincerely,

Chad Rohman

Dean, Rosary College of Arts and Sciences