Table of Contents
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Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids
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Collection Overview |
| Name of Creator: |
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). College of Arts and Sciences. |
| Title: |
College of Arts and
Sciences records |
| Date: |
1924–2002 (bulk 1965–1992) |
| Reference Code: |
A23 |
| Location Code: |
28/1, 32/2, 33/1-2, 34/3, FF5/D8 |
| Extent: |
24.45 cubic ft. (28 boxes; 2 flat file folders) |
| Scope and Content Abstract: |
The Northeastern University College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) collection
consists of 23.63 cubic feet acquired in four accessions and processed
in two installments. The records document CAS's administrative and
educational activities from 1924–2002, with the bulk of the
material dating from the late 1960s through the early 2000s. Records
of CAS's Curriculum Committee, the Core Curriculum Committee, the
College Council, planning committees, and Faculty and Department Chair
meetings document the development of CAS programs and many faculty
concerns. Records about academic student services, undergraduate affairs,
and graduate affairs document student admission and retention, academic
requirements and policies, open houses and orientations, academic
assistance programs, and scholarships. Records about academic departments
and centers, while voluminous, only provide spotty coverage of their
activities. Annual reports for all CAS department are available for
1987 and 1992. Annual reports from some of the departments are available
for years 1979–1980 and 1991–1995. These reports include
information concerning curriculum development, Ph.D. candidates, and
faculty professional activity. Also contained in the collection are
the College's Strategic Plan 1993–1998, Annual Budget Reports
for academic years 1967–1985, and faculty salary reports. Departments
with the best documentation include the Division of Fine Arts and
the Departments of Art and Architecture, Music, Theater, Chemistry,
Economics, English, Physics, and Psychology. |
| Historical Abstract: |
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is one of the Basic Day Colleges
that makes up Northeastern University (NU). It offers undergraduate
and graduate degrees in the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics,
and natural sciences. Headed by a dean, CAS is organized by academic
department, interdisciplinary program, or center for specialized study.
The dean has responsibility for managing educational policy, faculty
issues, student services, and budgeting, and often delegates these
functions to committees and his staff, including associate deans,
assistant deans, directors, and student advisors. The CAS dean reports
to the provost. The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) was established
in 1935 to offer general education for NU undergraduate business and
engineering students. In 1936, its name was changed to the College
of Liberal Arts (CLA). Even as CLA added faculty and developed new
departments, majors, and courses in subsequent decades, it continued
primarily to serve NU's professional disciplines. In 1978, Richard
Astro was appointed dean of CLA. The College of Liberal Arts changed its name to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) in 1979. Under Astro, CAS
programs, including the humanities and fine arts, were strengthened,
and several interdisciplinary programs, centers, and options for academic
majors and minors were added. Under Dean Robert Lowndes, who became
dean of CAS in 1987, CAS achieved independent prominence within NU
and increasing national respect. By 1989, CAS was the largest of NU's
basic colleges. |
| Language and Scripts: |
Materials entirely in English. |
| System of Arrangement: |
Arranged in alphabetical order in 2 series: 1.
Dean's Office and 2. Academic Departments. |
| Subjects and Contributors: |
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). College of Arts and
Sciences.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of Chemistry.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of Economics.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of English.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of Music.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of Physics.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of Psychology.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Dept. of Theater.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass). Division of Fine Arts.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass)––Administration.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass)––Curricula.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass)––Faculty.
- Universities and colleges –– Administration.
- Universities and colleges –– Curricula.
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| Conditions Governing Access: |
Records are closed for 25 years from their date of creation, unless
researchers have written permission from the creating office. Student
records are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation (including
select folders in Box 1 and all of Box 22). Records concerning tenure,
salaries, and grievances of individual faculty members are restricted
for 75 years from the date of creation (including select folders in
Boxes 4 and 5, all of Box 22, and folders in Box 25). |
| Processor: |
Finding aid prepared by Kendra Kelley, October 2007; updated by
Eliana Wachs Cashman, May 2008; updated by Abigail Cramer, November 2012. |
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