Steven F. Brown, Ph.D.
Dean, Liberal Arts & Sciences
& Professor of Music
CAMPUS BOX 4010
104 Roosevelt Hall
(Work) 620-341-5278
(Fax) 620-341-5681
Email Address: sfbrown@emporia.edu
It is my privilege and pleasure to join 145 faculty members, eleven academic departments and six special programs in welcoming you to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I would urge you to take a few moments to explore within these pages the many treasures that combine to make this an incredible college housed within an extraordinary university.
The structure and purpose of our college may be traced to the Classical era of ancient Greece. The basis of education during that period was the Trivium – the study of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric – and the Quadrivium, consisting of Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy.
The focus upon these disciplines was carefully reasoned and developed. Plato, in the Republic suggested that study of these arts and sciences created within humans the knowledge, wisdom and ideas necessary to develop civilizations and thereby change the very nature of the world. By studying the specifics of these fields, as well as (especially) the intrinsic connections among them, he believed that man gained the ability to understand the cosmos, and ultimately himself as well.
It is no accident that nearly all general studies courses which form the foundation for university degrees are housed within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Based upon the same sorts of study that comprised the Trivium and the Quadrivium, Liberal Arts education seeks to do much more than simply prepare students for a specific career; our purpose is to fully prepare students for life itself. We cannot possibly imagine the nature of society forty or fifty years from now. But students with strong foundations in the Liberal Arts and Sciences will be prepared for success, whatever the vagaries of time and culture.
The function of a ‘Liberal Arts’ education has always been to liberate the mind. Indeed, the very term developed from the Latin word liber, a ‘free man’, one who is not a slave. A true Liberal Arts education allows students to avoid being enslaved by the mundane, the ordinary or the commonplace. It helps us fully experience the wonders of life, of our world, and of the universe. We warmly invite you to join us in this extraordinary and ongoing adventure!
Sincerely,
Steven F. Brown
Academic Background
Doctor of Philosophy North Texas State University
Master of Music Education Arkansas State University
Bachelor of Music Education Arkansas State University
Publications
“Acoustical Placement of Voices in Choral Formations”, by Robert D. Tocheff
– a review, Bulletin of The Council for Research in Music Education,
No. 118
“Curriculum Reform in Choral Music Education”, Update, Vol. 7 (2)
“Determination of Location of Pitch Within Musical Vibrato”, Bulletin of the
Council for Research in Music Education, No. 108
“Instructional Techniques for Children's Choirs; A Curricular Model”, by
Patricia Anne Smith Bourne – a review, Bulletin of the Council for
Research in Music Education, No. 113
“Junior High Wind Instrumentalists' Perception of their Performance as
Measured by Detection of Pitch and Rhythm Errors under Live and
Recorded Conditions”, by 0. Bundy - a review, Bulletin of the Council
for Research in Music Education, No. 104, (Spring, 1990)
“Music in Gifted Education Instruction in Selected Public Elementary Schools
of Oklahoma”, by Darryl K. Ferrington – a review, Bulletin of the
Council for Research in Music Education, No. 138
“National Standards for Arts Education: What Every Young American Should
Know and Be Able to Do in the Arts”, by the Consortium of National
Arts Education Associations - a review, Choral Journal, Vol. 36 (4)
“Ongoing Assessment of the use of Self-Paced, Computer-Assisted Learning
Modules in Music Appreciation” Selected Papers from the Ninth
International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, (ed.
Chambers), 1998
Something to Sing About (2nd edition) - special contributor – Glencoe
Publishing Co.
“A Survey of the Curricular Content of Functional Keyboard Skills Classes
Designed for Undergraduate Piano Majors”, by S. McDonald - a review,
Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 110,
“Use of Self-Paced Computer Assisted Learning Modules in Music
Appreciation”, Proceedings of the Mid-South Instructional
Technology Conference, Middle Tennessee State University,
Murfreesboro, TN
What Works: Instructional Strategies for Music Teachers (associate editor),
MENC Publications
Professional Activities
Last Updated March 25, 2008