Liberal Arts Education Analysis

It does not focus on the basic elements of knowledge, but rather encompasses the broader sense of knowledge. Liberal arts, described as “a conservative approach to preparation for life,” (Ungar, 2017, p. 230) prepares students for life by weighing all knowledge as equal and beneficial. Furthermore, it prepares students for the future careers they desire to pursue. Contrary to the belief that liberal arts are useless in the job field, employers desire employees with an liberal arts degree; because employers place high value on innovative employees, who can think critically within the job field. Employers recognize that a liberal arts education equips individuals to communicate effectively and to analyze various problems.

Ungar’s essay, Charles Murray discusses why a liberal arts degree is unnecessary in his essay, “Are Too Many People Going to College?”. Murray believes that the basics of a liberal education are indeed important, but that students should be provided the basics of liberal arts in elementary and middle school (Murray 223). In this essay, Murray cites E.D. Hirsch Jr.’s book Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know.” Hirsch Jr. and Murray believe that there is a “body of core knowledge” that all students should have, and that “this core knowledge is an important part of the glue that holds the culture together” but that this core knowledge should be taught in grades K-8 (Murray 224). Murray discusses how young children are much better at memorizing facts than adults are, to support his position that kids should be memorizing this core knowledge at a younger age (Murray 224).

The exposure to numerous courses teaches students a wide variety of knowledge which assists them with their future careers. In his essay, Ungar analyzes the differences between colleges who have the liberal arts based education and ones who pursue the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics based education. Ungar states, “The liberal arts encompass the broadest possible range of discipline…The historical basis of a liberal education is in the classical artes liberals, comprising the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music” (Ungar, 2017, p. 229). Required general education courses provide students an understanding; students adapt quickly to their career because they understand basic knowledge in the diverse fields of

This article expresses Purpose, emotion, and other points of views besides himself. The authors purpose of this article is to resurrect the idea that liberal arts are not dead. The idea is expressed as liberal arts are not dead because there are other people who do not want to acknowledge it as an art that has any purpose to people. The ones who oppose seem to be closed minded and not except the idea that liberal arts are everywhere. The author wants people to support his idea because he knows the impact that liberal arts make in the world and how common the arts are used and are implemented in our daily lives and speech, without realizing it.

Another part Zakaria mentions the importance of communication. The influence you can make on other people by tremendous power in pours waving skills for good or bad in expressing yourself clearly in speech. Last but not least he talks about the value of a liberal education in learning to learn. It

A Liberal Arts education is the most important factor in creating critically thinking, well rounded interesting individuals. There are four breadth areas at Ottawa University, each relating to particular areas of life. The breadth areas are as follows: Art/Expression, Social/Civic, Science/Description and Value/Meaning. Each breath area has challenged me to think outside the box. This essay is the reflection and self-assessment of my education that addresses your growth in the knowledge, skills, and values of the Ottawa University learning outcomes for Liberal Arts Studies.

They have specific qualities that make the difference between being liberally educated and being a regular student. Liberally educated people strive to learn and value all of the information that they are able to come about. They do not hold the importance of one subject over another, instead they understand the importance of all subjects and care to learn about each one. The characteristics of a liberal learner do not just come about. A liberal learner must focus on developing and refining these characteristics.

For instance, David Horowitz proposed the Academic Bill of Rights which is called to “restore academic values” by “removing partisan politics from the classroom.” ( Source D). In fact, when teacher express their political views, and opinions in the classroom it creates educational biases in the classroom and therefore reduces the learning. The main purpose of professors no matter their political views is to teach students how to think, and not what to think by providing them with different viewpoints on a controversial matter. In addition, Source F emphasizes that “professors have a duty to inject some degree of controversy into the classroom” to “stimulate a healthy intellectual debate” (Source F). The point of education is for professors to provide students with a variety of views on a controversial subject, not provide them with their own opinions.

Secondly, college graduates have a higher chance of getting a job and earn much more money than those who don’t go to college. This is summed beautifully by this quote by Times writer Quotrong Bui, “There is some evidence that having a degree doesn’t guarantee a good job, but the alternative is much worse.” Going to college is a springboard into the future for having a higher chance of getting a job. Going to college surprisingly actually helps your health after the age of twenty five. According to the American Journal of Public Health, earning a bachelor 's degree after reaching the age of thirty five is linked with having fewer symptoms of depression, and having a higher rating of self health. This is also true for people who attain the associate 's degree after reaching the age 25 and later on, went to receive a bachelor’s degree.According to the College

However, critics maintain liberal education merely prepares for life after graduation (Lindeman, 1961/1995). To counter this deficiency, Lindeman (1961/1995) declares true learning requires a deeper reflection on meaning and purpose and the inclusion of the adult student’s experience to realize higher levels of knowledge. Without exercising this essential component, critics such as Dewey contend traditional learning is passive and uniform (Elias & Merriam, 2005). Even Mortimer Adler, a proponent of liberal education, argues liberal education must develop intellect through coaching, practice, and discussion (Elias & Merriam, 2005). What appears to be missing in Coles’, and in his viewpoint, the general mindset of liberal universities, is both Lindeman’s and Adler’s proposal to move information into

Discourse through means of education, allow students to transform into citizens by engaging in the public. Exposing one’s self to difference and getting into arguments, makes individuals avid seekers of information. However, a civic-based approach to education provides them an opportunity to engage. Bowman asserts, “higher education practitioners and administrators should endeavor to make diversity a key focus of the curriculum and cocurriculum, as this emphasis will likely lead to civic orientations and participation well after college graduation” (Bowman 49). The assignment for students to transform into effective and virtuous citizens, requires them to take advantage of the civic skills education can offer; students have the opportunity to establish a sense of community and responsibility and can attempt to heal America’s civic life to which democracy so heavily

Professors try to justify the sudden rise in grades but their explanations hardly convinces anyone. Mark Edmundson a professor at University of Virginia, writes about this in his essay, On the Uses of a Liberal Education,. He states, "a professor at Stanford [University] recently explained grade inflation in the humanities by observing that the undergraduates were getting smarter every year; the higher grades simply recorded how much better they were than their predecessors. Sure" (Edmundson 396). Edmundson 's sarcastic tone in his writing shows that he does not believe the Stanford professor 's explanation for grade averages going up.