Be Extraordinary
unearthing history
Experiential learning offers unexpected treasures for students
In an unforgettable moment, Lauren Flynn touched something time had forgotten.
As she pulled apart a clump of soil dug from an archeological site in northern England, she discovered a nearly 2,000-year-old boot. Or more accurately, she found the sole of a large boot once worn by a Roman soldier.
“I was almost in tears to be able to touch something from the ancient world,” says Lauren, BA’12, “and to see the footprint of the Roman soldier on the sole, that was a phenomenal experience that I will never forget.”
Experience is what the Vindolanda Field School at Western is all about. In the summer of 2012, Lauren and seven of her classmates dug through mud at the Vindolanda site in northern England to unearth artifacts at a first-century Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall.
“The ancient world can be a distant subject to some, but when students venture out of the classroom and participate in archeological digs, history comes alive,” says Beth Greene, assistant professor of classics at Western. “They experience where people lived, ate, worked and even threw birthday parties – and how these people are quite similar to us.”
While giving students the chance to practice excavation techniques such as how to hold a trowel and how to take environmental samples, the School offers evening lectures and weekend field trips that ground the hands-on archeological experiences, while also teaching life lessons.
read more in the latest Impact Western Magazine
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be extraordinary
The Faculty of Arts & Humanities is committed to cultivating the study of great literature, art, film, ancient and modern languages, linguistics, writing and philosophy. At a time when many post-secondary institutions are reducing or eliminating courses in the humanities, we choose to inspire in our students a unique understanding of the richness and complexity of our common humanity.Through the Be Extraordinary campaign, the Faculty of Arts & Humanities seeks a total of $20 million to advance the academic and research excellence of our students and faculty.
Key Initiatives:
School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities
The School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities is the flagship of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Our hybrid program combines scholarly investigation, teaching innovation, and experiential learning to offer a uniquely interdisciplinary and cross-cultural educational experience. Download PDF
Funding is needed to create:
- Endowment Fund
- Distinguished Faculty Fellowships
- Academic Merit Scholarships
- Global Opportunities Awards
- Program in Public Humanities
Rotman Institute of Philosophy
The Rotman Institute of Philosophy brings together philosophers and scientists to examine some of the most complex issues emerging from contemporary science. DOWNLOAD PDF
Funding is needed to create:
- Academic Merit Scholarships
- Research Catalyst Fund
- Chair in Philosophy of Neuroscience
- Chair in Philosophy of Science
- Postdoctoral Fellowships
Additional Arts & Humanities Initiatives
- Western Arts and Humanities Fund
- Holocaust Literature Research Institute
- Graduate and Postdoctoral funding
- Chair in Digital Humanities
- Chair in Creative Writing
- Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships, including for international exchanges
WAYS TO GIVE
Each and every gift makes a positive impact on Western’s present and future. Your support, for whatever amount you choose, will help enhance Western’s reputation as a leading Canadian university both here at home and around the world.
Gifts to support the initiatives within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities can be made in a variety of ways:
Annual Giving which supports the most immediate and urgent needs of the University as well as the everyday essentials that truly make a difference for Western students.
Personal Giving which allows you to customize your gift as a memorial or tribute, reunion class gift or named gift
Gift Planning is also an option. By endowing a planned gift, you transform your commitment into the hopes of the next generations of students, faculty and researchers, and through Western, anything continues to be possible.
Consider the following options carefully and plan your gift in consultation:
- Bequests
- Life Insurance
- Charitable Gift Annuities
- Retirement Benefits
- Charitable Remainder Trusts
- Gifts of Residual Interest
- Gifts of Property
Gift Matching is also an option. If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to The University of Western Ontario may be doubled or possibly tripled!
contact us
For more information or to discuss your gift options, please contact:
Alumni & Development Officer
Jessica Schagerl
Westminster Hall Room 110
519-661-2111 Ext. 87896