The College of Arts and Sciences is home to a wide array of academic disciplines and interdisciplinary programs. The departments, schools, and special programs housed within the college stretch across several broad divisions: the arts and humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. Although the faculty of the college have disciplinary interests that range across many diverse academic fields, the college faculty are united by a commitment to the goals and values of liberal education: unfettered intellectual inquiry, a dedication to the quest for knowledge as a worthwhile goal in and of itself, the development of a responsible and creative mind, and the cultivation of intellectual tolerance.The liberally educated individual is characterized not so much by specific subject matter knowledge as by the habits of mind that are cultivated during a liberal education. A liberally educated person is thus one who is able to reason and communicate effectively, who values lifelong learning, and who can confront the uncertainties of human experience. A liberal education provides a strong foundation for research, scholarship, and teaching in a student's chosen academic discipline. It also provides an invaluable educational background for a student who enters business, industry, the professions, or government or public service. A liberal education offers all individuals the opportunity to share in a rich intellectual heritage, to enjoy the adventures of the mind, and to live an engaged and fulfilling life. The College of Arts and Sciences Exploratory program is designed for students who are deciding among one or more majors in the College. It allows students to explore major options as well as make progress toward graduation through the completion of general education courses. Exploratory students are required to meet with their advisor every semester.