The was not created without significant thought and planning, which began in the late 1970’s. In 1977, draft proposals and program planning for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program by Jean Eason and Charles A. Church, Jr. were reviewed by the Dean of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Robert Miller. These reports stated that a post-baccalaureate program in Liberal Studies would enrich the lives of many of the college-educated members of the Piedmont Triad community. In 1978, a committee was formed to prepare a request for planning authority and to initiate contacts for an NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) grant.
Program planning continued into 1979, and on May 8, 1980, the University of North Carolina General Administration formally approved the authorization to plan a Master’s Degree program in Liberal Studies, and a program proposal for an NEH grant was tendered on 26 September 1980. In July 1981, the University of North Carolina General Administration reviewed the proposal for an MALS program submitted by Dr. John Kennedy, the Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies, and responded with a list of concerns. On 19 November 1984, an updated Request for Authorization to Establish a New Degree Program was submitted to the University of North Carolina Administration.
The MALS program was founded in 1985 and its first courses were offered the spring semester of 1987, with Dr. Karl Schleunes as the program director.
Post written by Julie Garling, student worker, Fall 2015