The College of Arts and Sciences has a long history within La Sierra University. Many of its current programs have been part of the university since its founding in 1922 as La Sierra Academy—but what we now know as the College of Arts and Sciences began in 1967 with the merger of La Sierra College and Loma Linda University. Then called the School of Arts and Sciences, it was housed in the basement of La Sierra Hall and encompassed the departments of Agriculture, Art, Business and Secretarial Administration, Chemistry, Education, English, Health and Physical Education, History and Political Science, Home Economics, Industrial Education, Modern Languages, Music, Nursing, Physics, Religion, and Speech. Under the direction of its first three deans—Dr. Ralph Koorenny (1967-1972), Dr. V. Norskov Olsen (1972-1974), and Dr. Fritz Guy (1974-1977) —the study of Arts and Sciences became “the backbone of Loma Linda University” (The Criterion, 1976). By 1968, it was referred to as the College of Arts and Sciences, and was already undergoing changes designed to further educational pursuits and ensure academic excellence. The Department of Education became its own school in 1968, followed by the School of Business and Management in 1987 and the School of Religion in 1988.

During its time within Loma Linda University, the College’s departments, programs, and majors grew and adapted to fit the needs of an evolving, modern education. Over the years, the College gained departments such as Liberal Studies, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Consumer Related Sciences, Geology, Anthropology and Sociology, Psychology, Biology, and Mathematics. In 1990, La Sierra became a separate institution from Loma Linda and acquired the title of University. That same year, Dr. Adeny Schmidt led the College as its first female dean. Since then, the College has continued to expand to meet the ever-changing needs and passions of its students. The most recent developments include: the creation of the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2010; the creation of the Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience in 2011; the creation of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production in 2012; and the addition of a “Design” component in the Art + Design department in 2014, signalling a focused response to the shifting factors of learning and professional artistry.  

In the upcoming years, the College of Arts and Sciences will continue to foster academic  innovation for the 21st century, to promote new areas of study, and to increase connections with the community. Under the direction of Dean Summitt, the College will strive to provide more opportunities for undergraduate research, to continue to equip graduates for a range of possible careers through internships, and to strengthen and support all its departments from the Natural and Social Sciences to the Arts and Humanities. The constant and unwavering goal of the College is to ensure that the education received by its students meets the needs of a modern society, and that all graduates who pass through its doors have become dedicated and motivated lifelong learners.