The University of Chicago has announced the unification of its Division of the Humanities and UChicago Arts into a single entity, now known as the Division of the Arts & Humanities.
On April 9, President Paul Alivisatos and Provost Katherine Baicker shared this development with the UChicago community, describing it as “an important milestone in the University’s academic evolution.” They stated, “This announcement marks an important step in bringing together these closely connected disciplines in new and meaningful ways.” According to them, the transformation is enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and aligning arts initiatives with academic departments while bolstering the University's leadership in research, creative practice, and graduate education within these fields.
The newly formed division now includes all the academic departments that were part of the Division of the Humanities, along with several arts units. The Court Theatre and the Smart Museum of Art, significant cultural institutions, will maintain their reporting to the Office of the Provost, continuing their University-wide, public-facing roles.
Deborah L. Nelson, the dean of the Division of the Arts & Humanities, emphasized the deep-rooted connection between the arts and humanities. She remarked, “The arts and humanities have always had a symbiotic and dynamic relationship in illuminating powerful truths about our human conditions. This is especially true at UChicago.” Nelson further noted the re-naming of the division as a formal acknowledgment of the ongoing relationships among scholars and artists, highlighting the impact of their work on individual and collective identity exploration.
The humanities at the University of Chicago have fostered critical engagement with history, language, philosophy, and culture, allowing students to delve into these areas through the College's Core curriculum. Meanwhile, UChicago Arts has established the University and the South Side of Chicago as notable destinations for the arts. Since the 2012 opening of the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, the University has seen growth in arts programming and facilities, reinforcing its commitment to community engagement.
For more details, visit artshumanities.uchicago.edu.