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Happy 50th Birthday, CAL!

It's time to celebrate! July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013 marks the 50th Anniversary of the MSU College of Arts and Letters. In recognition of this milestone, the College is enjoying a year-long series of celebratory events revolving around the anniversary for our worldwide network of alums, faculty, students and staff. We encourage you to join the celebration!

This website is your go-to place for information on what's happening in the areas of special events and activities for the 50th Anniversary. We encourage you to participate wherever and whenever you can to help make CAL's 50th year one to truly remember.

HISTORY

By the early 1960s, the College of Science and Arts had become MSU's largest college; one that was increasingly becoming too large to effectively administrate. After considerable study, a solution was recommended to the Board of Trustees.

Official Minutes of the Michigan State University
Board of Trustees Meeting of January 19, 1962

A RECOMMENDATION FOR STRENGTHENING THE FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINES AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

It is recommended that:
The College of Science and Arts be reformed effective July 1, 1962...as:

The College of Natural Science
The College of Social Science
The College of Arts and Letters

CAL to comprise: the departments of Art; Music; English; Foreign Language; History; Philosophy; Religion, Liberal Arts Program for Adults; Centennial Review; Humanities Research Center.

Approved by the MSU Board of Trustees, this recommendation officially formed the College of Arts and Letters on July 1, 1962. And the rest, as they say, is history; part of your and CAL's history together.

news & events

Come Join the Fun!

No anniversary would be complete without fun activities and lively events, and we have plenty planned for CAL's 50th. Whether your interests lean toward music, fashion, teaching and learning, theatre or lively gatherings, we have you covered.

From the official kickoff of festivities at the Grand Opening of the new Wells Hall addition and our special Coming Home activities during this year's Homecoming weekend October 12-13, to our 50th Film Series and Global Film Series, Digital Humanities and Technology lecture series, and CAL's Apparel & Textile Design Annual Fashion Show, Sunday, March 24, that will feature updated iconic fashions from the past five decades, there are 50th Anniversary events planned throughout the academic school year, and we welcome your participation.

Comfort Food Performance

October 30, 2012

Join the Theatre Department for their performance of "Comfort Food" on the 4th floors of the MSU Library. Learn more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvoR7lP2ddE

James and the Giant Peach

October 12, 2012

Stratford Theatre Festival Artist Edward Daranyi returns to direct an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s warped classic. An imprisoned boy! Insect friends! An incredible journey! This amazing adventure of James Henry Trotter will fulfill the fantasy of anyone who has ever dreamed of escape. Former MSU student and Tim Burton collaborator Lee “Bo” Henry returns to MSU for a special screening showcasing his work on Burton’s film “James and The Giant Peach" Tickats at: http://whartoncenter.com/boxoffice/performance.aspx?pid=1294

October 10, 2012

TOP GUN WITH TOM CRUISE is the second of three films to be screened, discussed and tied to events for CAL’s 50th Anniversary Film Series sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters Alumni Board. Preceded by a 6:30 pm reception in the Wells Hall B-Wing Lobby, Top Gun is scheduled for screening at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, October 10, in B115 Wells Hall. Top Gun was co-written by CAL alumnus Jack Epps and former MSU faculty member Jim Cash. The Cash and Epps duo was hugely popular in the 1980s when they wrote a string of highly successful films in addition to Top Gun, among them Legal Eagles, The Secret of My Success, and Turner and Hooch. Join us in Wells Hall B-115 for a 6:30 pm reception and 7:30 pm film showing of Top Gun. CAL alum and Top Gun screenwriter Jack Epps and University Distinguished Professor Gary Hoppenstand, PhD, an expert in American studies, popular culture, and film studies from the Department of English will engage in a post-film discussion and Q&A.

Susan Metros- The New I.T. Leader

September 28, 2012

In the past, technical expertise was the most important qualification for selecting IT leaders. However, higher education institutions today seek to attract a new crop of leaders from a diverse array of academic disciplines and corporate sectors.

Susan Metros- Learning to Look: New Literacies for the Digital Age

September 27, 2012

"What does it mean to be literate in a visually overloaded and digitally saturated world?"

Wells Hall Addition

September 17, 2012

Nearly two years after the first shovels of dirt were turned at the Groundbreaking for the new Wells Hall Addition, MSU Administration and the College of Arts and Letters hosted the building's Grand Opening, Friday, September 7, 2012.

Mosaic Project

September 17, 2012

Interested in playing a small part in a big-picture project? Then, plan on stopping by the northeast corner of Wells Hall A wing sometime between the hours of 9:45 am to approximately 1:30 pm, Tuesday, July 31, and help the College of Arts and Letters create a CAL 50th Anniversary mosaic!

Homecoming 2012

September 3, 2012

Join us for a special MSU College of Arts and Letters Homecoming Celebration this year! Scheduled for October 12-14, MSU's Homecoming 2012 is a fun-filled weekend of activities worth returning to campus for!

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interactive

Engage interactively!

Check out the below ways that you can get actively involved in CAL's 50th Anniversary celebration even from a distance! Help us choose "CAL's song;" take a virtual tour through Morrill Hall in its last year on campus; check out the virtual tour of the new Wells Hall addition; and more.

We'd love to have your input, active involvement and feedback.

Cal's Song - Music Memories of MSU
Final Walk through Morrill Hall - Launching February 2013
CAL Memory Bank
CAL 50th Anniversary Gallery

memory bank

What Made MSU Special for You?

Welcome to your very own private YouTube video and audio memories area! This is the place to upload your favorite video and/or audio memories of the College of Arts and Letters and MSU.

Memories are an important part of our CAL heritage and we want to hear about yours. Did you meet your spouse on campus? Who was your favorite prof? Did you make lifelong friends? Where did you like to hang out? Where were your favorite places on campus? We want to know!