Historical image of a student kneeling, hemming the dress of a student who is standing in front of mirrors in a sewing class. Distant view of the Columbia College main campus red brick buildings, with a field of pink and yellow tulips in the foreground.

School of Arts & Sciences

At Columbia College's School of Arts and Sciences, we celebrate diverse perspectives, champion creative thinking, and foster an environment where you can learn, grow and shape your future.

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Meet Dean David Karr

Dean David Karr, wearing a blue and white button-down shirt, smiling at the camera.
Dean Karr earned his Master's degree in History from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and his Ph.D. in Modern European History from Vanderbilt University.

Dean Karr joined Columbia College as a history professor in 2007 and served for ten years as a department chair before becoming Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. His work has centered on supporting faculty, strengthening academic programs, and helping programs respond creatively to the changing needs of students.

As Dean, he is committed to collaborative leadership and to helping students recognize the enduring value of the arts and sciences. He believes these disciplines prepare students not only for their careers but also for thoughtful, adaptable, and engaged lives.

In his work as a professor of history, Dean Karr has taught courses in world and European history, British history, the Enlightenment, and historical research. His scholarship focuses on British radicalism in the age of the French Revolution, particularly the writer and reformer Thomas Holcroft. He is co-author of British Jacobin Politics, Desires, and Aftermaths: Seditious Hearts (Routledge, 2021) and has published in several leading historical journals.

Learn, Grow & Shape Your Future

Visit Our Professional Art Galleries

Greg Hardwick Gallery

The Greg Hardwick Gallery, created primarily for the exhibition of three-dimensional art, is also used for alternative media, including video.

Sidney Larson Gallery

The Larson Gallery displays professional work by nationally and internationally known artists, and by outstanding Columbia College students.

Share Your Talent

Several students and the choir leader, all dressed in black, rehearsing for the annual showcase.

An annual showcase featuring performances by our music students.

Display of several student works of art at the high school art exhibition.

Our annual celebration of high school talent and creativity.

Three students standing in front of a window, having a discussion.

Our annual showcase of student research in science and health.

Student standing in front of her artwork on an easel, holding a paint palette, with her instructor standing next to her.

Join us for a week of events across the School of Arts & Sciences.

Shaping The World

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because a future built by you is a future built for you.

Too many people have been made to feel that higher education isn’t a place for them — that it is someone else’s dream. But we change all that. With individualized attention and ongoing support, we help you write a new story for the future where you play the starring role.