Liberal Education

I was in a restaurant recently and overheard a man say to a younger man: "You'd better be careful about college. I hear you get a very liberal education there." I guess he is right, at least at a liberal arts college where they teach "the liberal arts." Does that mean that you learn how to paint like a left-wing progressive? We know that isn't what we mean by liberal arts-- but what DO we mean? DuBois talks about the great books tradition that is part of the liberal arts. He felt that, in his own time, the opportunity for higher education in the liberal arts should be made available to all races, but he also felt that not everyone would benefit from that kind of higher education. We ended class before break wondering: if the liberal arts are to teach you how to think and solve problems, well, don't plumbers need to solve problems? Our POW that week also ponders the different kinds of "higher education." I have thought a lot about that since that day.

I am currently working on a project here at UR that looks at the changing definition of "a liberal education." On the front page of one of the documents we are looking at is a quote from DuBois!

Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled andfought for the last 5,000 years,the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental.
—W. E. B. DuBois

If DuBois was alive now and looking at the world of the new millenium, I wonder if he would be working with the folks at the AAC&U and if he would agree with their conclusions. Read their definitions of "liberal learning" "liberal arts" and more here. You can also read more about the Liberal Education and America's Promise project which seeks to find a bridge between the Ivory Tower and the work world and life after college.

I would love to hear what you think about the LEAP reports.