http://www.simpson.edu/faculty/teaching/indexconversationslas.html

Objectives: As a result of LAS, students shall be able to:

Articulate the purpose and advantages of a liberal arts education
Indentify the disciplines represented in the Cornerstone program
Comprehend possible interactions between these disciplines

Implementation: Require one of the following projects on your syllabus or create a suitable assignment of your own.

Option 1: Class discussion on skills and Cornerstone

Option 2: Faculty Panel

Option 3: Require students to read and think about the catalogue

Option 4: Article or quotation about the liberal arts

Option 1: Class discussion on skills and Cornerstone

To help students recognize the value and benefits of a liberal arts education, ask them to first list the skills and abilities they think they will need after they graduate from college. This question could be phrased in a number of different ways. Here are a few possibilities:

What skills and abilities do people need to lead fulfilled and meaningful lives?
What skills and abilities do people need to have a successful career? What does it mean to have a successful career?
What skills and abilities do people need to be citizens of a democratic country?
The liberal arts are meant to liberate people. What sorts of things should we be liberated from? What skills, abilities, and characteristics do we need to nurture to attain that liberation?

After generating a list of skills, have students break into groups such that each group is assigned a different cornerstone perspective. Ask students to identify the ways in which that cornerstone perspective would contribute to developing one or more of those skills. You might want to have this discussion over two class periods. At the end of one class, ask students to generate the list of skills. Then have them interview faculty or do library research on their assigned cornerstone perspective.

Option 2: Faculty Panel

One way of helping students understand how the liberal arts contributes to the creation of an education citizenry is to invite two or three faculty members from different disciplines to come to class and have a panel discussion regarding a specific current issue. Consider selecting an issue relevant to homeland security, terrorism, the war in Iraq, abuse of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib by U.S. soldiers, health care, prescription drug benefits, etc. The trick to making this work is to make sure that the members of the panel explicitly address the ways in which they think a liberal arts education is useful in understanding that issue.

One easy way to put together this panel is to have two or three different LAS sections meet together and have the instructors of those sections serve on the panel.

Option 3: Require students to read and think about the catalogue

Ask your students to answer (in writing) the three questions listed below. To answer these questions, students will need to consult the Simpson College Catalog as well as resources in Dunn Library or accessible through Dunn’s web page. In addition to this research, students will need to engage in thoughtful reflection about these questions.

1. What is meant by the phrase “liberal arts education”?

2. How do Simpson’s Cornerstone requirements contribute to students receiving a liberal arts education at Simpson?

3. What are the advantages of receiving a liberal arts education?

Students can then share their responses to these questions with each other during class. You might want to examine the variety of different answers students provide and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different responses. You may want to share your own definition with them. But keep in mind that most first year students are still in a dualistic stage of cognitive development in which they tend to think that there is only one correct answer to any question. This may be an excellent opportunity to help them to see that there can be multiple “correct” responses to a question and to understand that some good answers are more persuasive than others.

Option 4: Article or quotation about the liberal arts

A variety of articles would make good reading assignments to help students think about the liberal arts. What follows are brief discussions of few of the possibilities.

“Only Connect”: The Goals of a Liberal Education

William Cronon’s aarticle"’Only Connect’: The Goals of a Liberal Education” is an 8-page discussion of what a liberal arts education entails. A link is available. It was published in American Scholar, Autumn 1998, 67(4), p. 73-80.

Cronon begins by arguing that the goal of a liberal arts education is “to nurture the growth of human talent in the service of human freedom.” By the end of the article, he clarifies that a liberal arts education serves human community as much as it serves human freedom. In between, he discusses the lists of courses often provided to ensure that students receive a liberal arts education. He then creates a list of his own, but his list focuses on the qualities of liberally education people rather than on the courses that they have taken.

A wide variety of different writing assignments can be connected to this article. You could ask them to ask students to write a reflection on why a liberal arts education is important to them in their own lives – both in terms of their own freedom and in terms of their participation in the human community. Alternatively, you could ask students to write a paper in which they explain how the different Cornerstone requirements help students to gain the personal qualities of a liberally educated person that Cronon discusses and thus how the Cornerstone requirements serve “to nurture the growth of human talent in the service of human freedom.”

Greenspan on the Liberal Arts

Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, talked about the value of a college education, and about the liberal arts, in an address he gave when accepting the Stephen P. Duggan Award for International Understanding.

The New York Times reported on this in an article published on Nov 6, 2002.

The full text of the address is available on the Federal Reserve Board’s website.

On the Uses of a Liberal Education

In 1997, Harper’s Magazine published a pair of articles on the uses of a liberal education. Although the two articles are fairly long, they make a wonderful pair. In an essay entitled “As Lit e Entertainment for Bored College Students,” Mark Edmundson presents many of the comments and criticisms of faculty who teach in liberal arts colleges: students’ consumer mentality, students desire to blend in and not voice an opinion, problems with the tenure system, and teaching styles. Earl Shorris offers a different perspective in his essay “As a Weapon in the Hands of the Restless Poor.” Shorris taught a course in the humanities to students from the inner-city who were trying to work their way out of poverty. Both articles are available on EbscoHost.

Edmundson, Mark (September 1997) As lite entertainment for bored college students. Harper’s Magazine, 295(1768), 39-49.

Shorris, Earl (September 1997) As a weapon in the hands of the restless poor. Harper’s Magazine, 295(1768), 50-59.

Liberal Arts: The Key to the Future

In a USA Today article, Herman (2000) argues that employers are looking for people with liberal arts educations. For example, he claims “the emphasis that the liberal arts curriculum places on critical and creative writing, speaking, and critical thought is appreciated by employers” (p. 34). This article is 2 pages long and can be found on EbscoHost.

Herman, Roger E. (November 2000) Liberal arts: The key to the future. USA Today, 129(2666), 34-35.

Democracy, Leadership, and the Role of Liberal Education

Marcy (2000) argues that democracy is based on having an educated citizenry. This article is loosely structured around the need for a response to the events of September 11, 2001. This article is available on EbscoHost.

Marcy, Mary (Winter 2002) Democracy, leadership, and the role of liberal education. Liberal Education, 88(1), 6-11.

Claiming an Education

Adrienne Rich gave a convocation address at Douglas College, a women’s college, in 1977. In this address she encourages students to claim rather than receive an education. She encourages students to take responsibility to themselves. Among other things, “responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work” (p. 233).

When I search for a copy of this essay online, I found numerous places I could buy a copy of a term paper about it. Thus be careful about the possibility of plagiarism when using this essay.

"Claiming an Education" (1977) by Adrienne Rich, published in On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose 1966-1978 (Norton, 1979).

Collection of Quotations

If you would rather not have students read an entire article, consider presenting them with a collection of quotations from scholars of the liberal arts. Here are some possibilities.

Liberal education nurtures human freedom in the service of human community.

William Cronon

The tenets of liberal education are the basis for an educated citizenry… This is true not because through liberal education we offer answers, but because we are so good at asking questions, at holding competing ideas, and wrestling with complex conditions like the situation in which we presently find our country…. Questioning, exploring, stating the unpopular, challenging poorly reason theories, wrestling with the convoluted and contradictory positions – this is what liberal education asks us to do.

Mary Marcy

The goals of a liberal arts education are to provide students with a solid foundation for problem solving; to help them understand others and interact effectively with them; to help students examine their own assumptions and avoid being taken in by specious argument; to help students feel connected with others who have dealt with similar feelings or situations or problems; to open students’ eyes and minds to the fascinations of other cultures and experiences; to provide a deeper sense of self and citizenship, and to develop valued employees, responsible citizens, and effective leaders. Inside and outside the classroom, liberal arts students should learn how to learn and develop a zest for learning that will last them a lifetime.

E.N. Goldberg

A liberal education is not something any of us ever achieve; it is not a state. Rather it is a way of living in the face of our own ignorance, a way of groping toward wisdom in full recognition of our own folly, a way of educating ourselves without any illusions that our education will ever be complete.

William Cronon

In the broadest sense, the student of the liberal arts is being invited to join a community of scholars whereby the student will become an active agent in dialogue with members of that community, not a passive observer of the scholarly endeavor.

L. Wells

If you are a college-bound youth, carefully consider what future careers will entail. Remember that you will be looking at a hopscotch model of future employment, with easy movement between career paths. You will want to have the academic foundation that will enable you to move comfortably across career fields to take advantage of the opportunities that will come your way.

R.E. Herman


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Conversations about the Liberal Arts Objectives: As a result of LAS, students shall be able to: Articulate the purpose and advantages of a liberal arts education Indentify the disciplines represented in the Cornerstone program Comprehend possible interactions between these disciplines Implementation: Require one of the following projects on your syllabus or create a suitable assignment of your own. Option 1: Class discussion on skills and Cornerstone Option 2: Faculty Panel Option 3: Require students to read and think about the catalogue Option 4: Article or quotation about the liberal arts Option 1: Class discussion on skills and Cornerstone To help students recognize the value and benefits of a liberal arts education, ask them to first list the skills and abilities they think they will need after they graduate from college. This question could be phrased in a number of different ways. Here are a few possibilities: What skills and abilities do people need to lead fulfilled and meaningful lives? What skills and abilities do people need to have a successful career? What does it mean to have a successful career? What skills and abilities do people need to be citizens of a democratic country? The liberal arts are meant to liberate people. What sorts of things should we be liberated from? What skills, abilities, and characteristics do we need to nurture to attain that liberation? After generating a list of skills, have students break into groups such that each group is assigned a different cornerstone perspective. Ask students to identify the ways in which that cornerstone perspective would contribute to developing one or more of those skills. You might want to have this discussion over two class periods. At the end of one class, ask students to generate the list of skills. Then have them interview faculty or do library research on their assigned cornerstone perspective. *Option 2:* Faculty Panel One way of helping students understand how the liberal arts contributes to the creation of an education citizenry is to invite two or three faculty members from different disciplines to come to class and have a panel discussion regarding a specific current issue. Consider selecting an issue relevant to homeland security, terrorism, the war in Iraq, abuse of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib by U.S. soldiers, health care, prescription drug benefits, etc. The trick to making this work is to make sure that the members of the panel explicitly address the ways in which they think a liberal arts education is useful in understanding that issue. One easy way to put together this panel is to have two or three different LAS sections meet together and have the instructors of those sections serve on the panel. *Option 3:* Require students to read and think about the catalogue Ask your students to answer (in writing) the three questions listed below. To answer these questions, students will need to consult the Simpson College Catalog as well as resources in Dunn Library or accessible through Dunn’s web page. In addition to this research, students will need to engage in thoughtful reflection about these questions. 1. What is meant by the phrase “liberal arts education”? 2. How do Simpson’s Cornerstone requirements contribute to students receiving a liberal arts education at Simpson? 3. What are the advantages of receiving a liberal arts education? Students can then share their responses to these questions with each other during class. You might want to examine the variety of different answers students provide and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different responses. You may want to share your own definition with them. But keep in mind that most first year students are still in a dualistic stage of cognitive development in which they tend to think that there is only one correct answer to any question. This may be an excellent opportunity to help them to see that there can be multiple “correct” responses to a question and to understand that some good answers are more persuasive than others. *Option 4:* Article or quotation about the liberal arts A variety of articles would make good reading assignments to help students think about the liberal arts. What follows are brief discussions of few of the possibilities. “Only Connect”: The Goals of a Liberal Education William Cronon’s aarticle"’Only Connect’: The Goals of a Liberal Education” is an 8-page discussion of what a liberal arts education entails. A link is available. It was published in American Scholar, Autumn 1998, 67(4), p. 73-80. Cronon begins by arguing that the goal of a liberal arts education is “to nurture the growth of human talent in the service of human freedom.” By the end of the article, he clarifies that a liberal arts education serves human community as much as it serves human freedom. In between, he discusses the lists of courses often provided to ensure that students receive a liberal arts education. He then creates a list of his own, but his list focuses on the qualities of liberally education people rather than on the courses that they have taken. A wide variety of different writing assignments can be connected to this article. You could ask them to ask students to write a reflection on why a liberal arts education is important to them in their own lives – both in terms of their own freedom and in terms of their participation in the human community. Alternatively, you could ask students to write a paper in which they explain how the different Cornerstone requirements help students to gain the personal qualities of a liberally educated person that Cronon discusses and thus how the Cornerstone requirements serve “to nurture the growth of human talent in the service of human freedom.” Greenspan on the Liberal Arts Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, talked about the value of a college education, and about the liberal arts, in an address he gave when accepting the Stephen P. Duggan Award for International Understanding. The New York Times reported on this in an article published on Nov 6, 2002. The full text of the address is available on the Federal Reserve Board’s website. On the Uses of a Liberal Education In 1997, Harper’s Magazine published a pair of articles on the uses of a liberal education. Although the two articles are fairly long, they make a wonderful pair. In an essay entitled “As Lit e Entertainment for Bored College Students,” Mark Edmundson presents many of the comments and criticisms of faculty who teach in liberal arts colleges: students’ consumer mentality, students desire to blend in and not voice an opinion, problems with the tenure system, and teaching styles. Earl Shorris offers a different perspective in his essay “As a Weapon in the Hands of the Restless Poor.” Shorris taught a course in the humanities to students from the inner-city who were trying to work their way out of poverty. Both articles are available on EbscoHost. Edmundson, Mark (September 1997) As lite entertainment for bored college students. Harper’s Magazine, 295(1768), 39-49. Shorris, Earl (September 1997) As a weapon in the hands of the restless poor. Harper’s Magazine, 295(1768), 50-59. Liberal Arts: The Key to the Future In a USA Today article, Herman (2000) argues that employers are looking for people with liberal arts educations. For example, he claims “the emphasis that the liberal arts curriculum places on critical and creative writing, speaking, and critical thought is appreciated by employers” (p. 34). This article is 2 pages long and can be found on EbscoHost. Herman, Roger E. (November 2000) Liberal arts: The key to the future. USA Today, 129(2666), 34-35. Democracy, Leadership, and the Role of Liberal Education Marcy (2000) argues that democracy is based on having an educated citizenry. This article is loosely structured around the need for a response to the events of September 11, 2001. This article is available on EbscoHost. Marcy, Mary (Winter 2002) Democracy, leadership, and the role of liberal education. Liberal Education, 88(1), 6-11. Claiming an Education Adrienne Rich gave a convocation address at Douglas College, a women’s college, in 1977. In this address she encourages students to claim rather than receive an education. She encourages students to take responsibility to themselves. Among other things, “responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work” (p. 233). When I search for a copy of this essay online, I found numerous places I could buy a copy of a term paper about it. Thus be careful about the possibility of plagiarism when using this essay. "Claiming an Education" (1977) by Adrienne Rich, published in On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose 1966-1978 (Norton, 1979). Collection of Quotations If you would rather not have students read an entire article, consider presenting them with a collection of quotations from scholars of the liberal arts. Here are some possibilities. Liberal education nurtures human freedom in the service of human community. William Cronon The tenets of liberal education are the basis for an educated citizenry… This is true not because through liberal education we offer answers, but because we are so good at asking questions, at holding competing ideas, and wrestling with complex conditions like the situation in which we presently find our country…. Questioning, exploring, stating the unpopular, challenging poorly reason theories, wrestling with the convoluted and contradictory positions – this is what liberal education asks us to do. Mary Marcy The goals of a liberal arts education are to provide students with a solid foundation for problem solving; to help them understand others and interact effectively with them; to help students examine their own assumptions and avoid being taken in by specious argument; to help students feel connected with others who have dealt with similar feelings or situations or problems; to open students’ eyes and minds to the fascinations of other cultures and experiences; to provide a deeper sense of self and citizenship, and to develop valued employees, responsible citizens, and effective leaders. Inside and outside the classroom, liberal arts students should learn how to learn and develop a zest for learning that will last them a lifetime. E.N. Goldberg A liberal education is not something any of us ever achieve; it is not a state. Rather it is a way of living in the face of our own ignorance, a way of groping toward wisdom in full recognition of our own folly, a way of educating ourselves without any illusions that our education will ever be complete. William Cronon In the broadest sense, the student of the liberal arts is being invited to join a community of scholars whereby the student will become an active agent in dialogue with members of that community, not a passive observer of the scholarly endeavor. L. Wells If you are a college-bound youth, carefully consider what future careers will entail. Remember that you will be looking at a hopscotch model of future employment, with easy movement between career paths. You will want to have the academic foundation that will enable you to move comfortably across career fields to take advantage of the opportunities that will come your way. R.E. Herman
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