James McClellan, Dean, College of Arts and Letters

A humanities professor in a school where students take a lot of heavy-duty science and engineering courses—he likens it to “fattening up a goose.” Driven to show students what it means to seriously think about the development and expression of thoughts, Professor McClellan bridges the arts and humanities with science. He says it goes back to the Greeks, Babylonian calendars, and Plato. How does it fit in? “You can’t just provide people with a technical education. They must know about the social, political, legal, and artistic background to the world around them.” And he sheds light on what students learn in science and engineering courses, adding dimension and perspective. “One day in class we packed up our bags and went on a walking tour. There I was, in my gown, followed by my students like goslings. They saw cars. We asked, ‘How do you get cars?’ We looked at the electrical system, the sewer system. We asked, ‘What does it take for so many people to live together—why is it necessary for civilized life?’ Students sit up and soak up everything I can give to them. And that’s what makes teaching so very nice. What happens in a classroom has to be special. If that’s not happening, it’s not worth doing.”

Listen to a podcast interview with Dr. James McClellan:

Links

College of Arts and Letters home page

News: James McClellan is ‘invited professor’ at Paris graduate school

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