Because of the move toward automation and a more knowledge-based economy, it is imperative that colleges and universities develop graduates who have the capacity for continued growth--graduates with a foundation of skills and knowledge that can be built upon for future employment. A liberal arts education can expose students to depth in an area…

As a veteran university president of fifteen years, MaryAnn Baenninger has welcomed thousands of prospective students and parents to Saturday recruitment days, however recently she has begun to wonder about the adequacy of recent descriptions of "liberal arts" as an ideal education. National conversations about higher education have…

In 1988, civic and business leaders worked collaboratively with university representatives to establish a campus of the University of Southern Maine in the Lewiston-Auburn area, and they decided to build the new college on a solid foundation in the liberal arts. Rather than establishing a curriculum focused myopically on professional preparation,…

The study of liberal arts and sciences and teacher training have drifted apart, reinforcing polarities between theory and practice, intellect and action, collaboration and competition. Brooklyn College (New York) has reorganized its curriculum to bring them back together. Students write and reexamine autobiographical accounts of their own…

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has embarked on a sustained program to enhance the quality of student learning on campuses, while also supporting AAC&U members' efforts to bring liberal education to all sectors of society. This commitment to quality and equity in service to democracy forms the basis for…

What are the enduring, value-added features of small, private liberal arts colleges? Certain distinctions come to mind: broad exposure to the disciplines, focused study in the majors, and close campus interactions--all enhanced by the residential experience. However, what is (and has historically been) the value of small, private residential…

The New England Consortium on Assessment and Student Learning (NECASL) seeks to understand how students make important decisions during college, assess the extent to which institutional policies and practices foster student learning, and modify those policies and practices accordingly. In this article, the authors analyze interviews with a…

For many years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) has been working with other institutions in the University of Wisconsin System to change the conversation about higher education in the state. In the spring of 2006, these partners participated in a systemwide advisory group convened to promote better understanding of liberal…

Experiential learning opportunities can enrich an undergraduate liberal education and produce graduates who are prepared to grapple, imaginatively and responsibly, with the complex challenges they will face throughout their lives. A growing body of empirical evidence supports that contention. Yet much remains to be learned about how to lead…

In order to enhance economic education in ways that are consistent with the liberal education perspective, the catalyst function of education needs to be supported more fully. The content of what is taught will, and should, be determined by individual professors and schools. Ideally, the "right" content will be taught passionately. But this is…

The present period is characterized by an unprecedented degree of global integration at the economic, political, and cultural levels. Economically, this has created a situation in which only creative problem solvers and innovators will be able to compete globally. On the other hand, liberal education remains more important than ever at these…

"Ivy-clad towers" in academia still exist today and always, they require their students to spend considerable time in community service to learn about social justice. The poor almost seem to exist so that academics can study them or so that university students can elevate their own consciousness by serving them for a short period. As…

Discussion at the Wingspread Conference on the New American College (August 1994) concerning a new model of educational excellence in higher education is summarized. The model emphasizes the need to connect general education with specialized education, theoretical learning with practical learning, and development of intellectual skills with…