From student research in the classroom to student discovery around the world, from scholars in the humanities and social sciences to leading scientists and technology innovators, and from policymakers and philanthropists to nonprofit leaders and global trailblazers, the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) is the home of the engaged liberal arts at George Washington University.
And now CCAS is expanding its impact with the launch of a strategic plan to guide its priorities and actions through 2030. Last spring, as part of a collaborative effort with its broader community, CCAS stakeholders came together to define the college’s strategic priorities and draw upon its strengths and commitments to research, teaching and mentoring.
In alignment with the university’s strategic framework, the new plan focuses on five priorities: 21st century liberal arts; interdisciplinary thinking in action; innovation through emerging technology; research for the public good; and building community and belonging.
“We didn’t develop the strategic plan to sit on a shelf,” said CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck. “This plan accurately reflects who we are as a college—faculty, students, alumni and staff. This is where we will put our emphasis over the next few years.”
In an interview, Wahlbeck talked about how the strategic plan will help students navigate new challenges, open doors to new research and support the CCAS community to make meaningful impacts on both a global scale and in its own backyard.
Q: Can you explain why this is the right time for a new CCAS strategic plan?
A: Right now, like every university in America, GW faces challenging financial headwinds. As we think about where we invest our resources, it’s important to have a conversation about our shared priorities so we can focus our efforts on activities that will be of value to our community.
We want to open doors for faculty and students to take the liberal arts into the 21st century. Right now, the liberal arts is on a firm foundation in preparing students for the workplace. But how can we adapt their skills for the next 10, 20, 30 years?
In 2026, we cannot envision what our students will face throughout their lifetime. But we remain committed to preparing them with skills—including critical thinking, communication, quantitative and scientific reasoning—that will stand them in good stead for the world around us and their career choices.
We want our liberal arts education to continue to be cutting-edge and future-focused. This is an opportunity to move forward in that direction.
“We want our liberal arts education to continue to be cutting-edge and future-focused. This is an opportunity to move forward in that direction.”
CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck
Q: How did you determine these priorities? Who was involved in the discussions?
A: We sought input throughout the college. The Dean’s Council—a group of 15 faculty members who were elected to represent the faculty and advise me—played an important role from the start. We brainstormed with department chairs to get their ideas and input. We worked with our National Council of Arts and Sciences, which largely consists of alumni. We had conversations with staff. No one was left out of this process. It really was a joint collaborative effort.
Q: How do you start implementing this plan? What are the first steps?
A: We identified themes that cut across our different priorities and set up working groups to help us execute them. One important piece is having more of our undergraduate students deeply engaged in research. Thanks to philanthropic support, we already have many opportunities for student research such as the Luther Rice Fellowship and the Robert Vincent Fellowship, which allow students to conduct research working closely with faculty mentors; however, we want to expand and deepen those opportunities.
Increasing the number of Course-based Research Experiences for Undergraduates (CURES) is one way we can do that. Working with Libraries and Academic Innovations, we’re planning to offer CURES training this summer for faculty who either want to incorporate this component into their classes or use them to strengthen research they are already offering. This effort is aimed across the disciplines, from the sciences to the humanities.
When I first met President Granberg, I described for her the engaged liberal arts opportunities at Columbian College. She asked me, “Can you scale those up?” Part of the implementation of this strategic plan is thinking about how to scale it up—how to make research opportunities available for even more students.
Q: What about adapting to emerging technology?
A: That is a topic that came up again and again in our conversations: incorporating emerging technology, particularly artificial intelligence, into our educational programs.
Technology will be changing at a rapid pace throughout our students’ working lives. We need to prepare them to navigate technology in ethical and responsible ways. Among the initiatives that we’ve discussed with interested faculty are a master’s degree in AI in the liberal arts and perhaps a micro-credential that would signify to employers that our students are well versed in these technologies. These initiatives would focus on AI as it pertains to policy, governance and law—our sweet spots. We are exploring future-facing programs that also leverage our strengths as a college of arts and sciences.
I’m looking forward to more conversations about how our curriculum can prepare our students to adapt to this ever-changing landscape.
Q: What are other themes driving this strategic plan?
A: Another important prong is building community.
Let’s be honest, community took a hit during the pandemic. Now we are looking for opportunities to bring people back together and foster connections in creative ways—with our staff, our faculty, our alumni and our students.
This year, we instituted Tea with the Dean—inviting staff to have informal monthly conversations with me around tea and cookies. We’ve recently started Stroll with the Dean, where people can visit different spots on campus that may not be part of their daily lived experience. For example, we toured the Harlan Greenhouse in the Science and Engineering Hall.
Going forward, we’re excited about other fun activities like a team-based scavenger hunt we’re calling the CCAS Amazing Race and a book club called CCAS Coffee House.
Q: What excites you about this entire process?
A: There are a lot of questions today about the value of a college degree. Are institutions still home to research and scholarship that really matter?
To me, at Columbian College, the answer is an emphatic yes! We provide an education that prepares our students for the world in which they’re going to live. We conduct research not just because it’s inherently interesting but because it is solving the grand challenges facing all of us. We conduct research for the public good—to advance society.
Why do we do these jobs? It’s because we want to make a difference in the lives of our students. It’s because we want to contribute to the state of knowledge that will have an impact on our nation and the world. That’s what excites me as dean.