College of Literature, Science, and the Arts facts for kids
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Other name
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LSA |
|---|---|
| Motto | Leading in Thought and Action |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1841 |
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Parent institution
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University of Michigan |
| Endowment | $750 million (2011) |
| Dean | Rosario Ceballo |
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Academic staff
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1,372 |
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Administrative staff
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2,200 |
| Undergraduates | 17,149 |
| Location |
,
United States
42°16′34.4″N 83°44′28.8″W / 42.276222°N 83.741333°W |
| Campus | 40 acres (16 ha) |
The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (often called LSA) is a big school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It's where students learn about many different subjects, like science, history, and writing. LSA started way back in 1841. It's also home to special programs like the University of Michigan Honors Program.
Contents
A Look at LSA's History
When the University of Michigan first began, LSA was known as the Literary Department. It was the main part of the university. From 1841 to 1874, the teachers chose a leader to talk with the university's main board.
In 1875, Henry Simmons Frieze became the very first dean of LSA. A dean is like a principal for a college. They help lead the school and make sure everything runs smoothly.
In March 2013, a generous person named Helen Zell gave $50 million to LSA. This was the biggest gift in LSA's history! It helped pay for scholarships and support for students studying creative writing.
Today, as of August 2025, the dean of LSA is Rosario Ceballo.
Discover the Residential College
The Residential College (RC) is a special part of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. It's like a smaller school inside the bigger university. Catherine Badgley is the current director of the RC.
What is the RC?
The RC was created in 1967. The idea was to give students the feeling of a small, close-knit liberal arts college. But they would still have all the amazing resources of a large university. Teachers like Theodore Newcomb and Carl Cohen helped plan it.
Learning and Living at the RC
Students in the RC take regular LSA classes. They also take unique RC courses. Many of these are "seminar" classes, which are small, discussion-based groups with fewer than fifteen students.
A cool thing about the RC is that all students must live in the same residence hall, East Quadrangle, for at least one year. This helps them build a strong community. Since the RC is part of LSA, students still need to meet all of LSA's academic requirements.
RC students can choose from all the usual subjects offered at LSA. They can also pick five special subjects only available in the RC. These include "Arts and Ideas in the Humanities," "Creative Writing and Literature," and "Drama." Students can even create their own "Individualized Major."
Language Learning at the RC
A big part of the RC experience is learning languages. Students take intensive language courses. These are like "language immersion" programs, where you learn a lot very quickly. They offer languages such as Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Japanese.
People Who Studied at LSA
- Sam Apple, a non-fiction writer
- Rebecca Blumenstein, a former editor at The New York Times
- Carmen Bugan, a poet and writer
- Nandi Comer, the Poet Laureate of Michigan
- Dennis Foon, a playwright and screenwriter
- Matt Forbeck, an author and game designer
- Wendy Goldberg, a theatre director
- Dhani Jones, a former football player
- Laura Kasischke, an author and poet
- Kathy Kozachenko, the first openly LGBT person to win a political election in the United States
- Francis Lam, a journalist and cook
- Jenifer Levin, a writer
- Damian Rogers, a poet and journalist
- Matthew Rohrer, a poet
- Michelle Segar, a scientist and author
- Sue Shink, a state senator
- Mazi Smith, a football player for the Dallas Cowboys
- James Tobin, an author and historian
- David Turnley, a photographer who won a Pulitzer Prize
Amazing Teachers at LSA
- Naomi André, a music scholar
- Carl Cohen, a philosopher
- Angela D. Dillard, a scholar and author
- Elizabeth Douvan, a psychologist
- Zelda Gamson, a sociologist
- Laura Kasischke, an author and poet
- Theodore Newcomb, a social psychologist
- Bradford Perkins, a historian
- Aisha Sabatini Sloan, a writer
- Barbara Sloat, a biologist
- Heather Ann Thompson, a historian and author of Blood in the Water
