Steve Esquith is dean of Michigan State University’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities. He talks with MSU President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. MD and Spartans Athletic Director Bill Beekman about the “common good” mission of the college.

“We think there are some basic things that the arts and humanities can contribute to society,” says Esquith.

He talks about the college’s excellent placement rate. “Parents are often pleased to hear about our graduation and placement rates,” he quips.

For each of the past six years, 100 percent of RCAH graduates have found jobs or enrolled in grad school. That percentage is best among colleges at MSU.

Esquith says RCAH greatly exceeded its fundraising goal in the university’s recent campaign. And he details the advantages offered by a residential college.

“In living together, the students encounter people who are different from themselves. A mark of our success in the college is our diversity. Richness of other cultures is not just something they read about in textbooks.”

“What you’re doing is such a powerful answer to the question of how the humanities are relevant to what’s going on in the world,” says Stanley. “You provide a powerful answer to that question.”

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