Liberal arts college

From New World Encyclopedia
Schools
Musica 1488.jpg
Education
History of education
Pedagogy
Teaching
Homeschooling
Preschool education
Child care center
Kindergarten
Primary education
Elementary school
Secondary education
Middle school
Comprehensive school
Grammar school
Gymnasium
High school
Preparatory school
Public school
Tertiary education
College
Community college
Liberal arts college
University

Liberal arts colleges are post-secondary educational institutions which focus on a Liberal Arts curriculum, generally in undergraduate studies. Although the genesis for what is known today as the liberal arts college began in Europe, the term is commonly associated with the United States, which has the largest concentration of Liberal arts schools, although such institutions are also found in countries all over the world.

History

The seven liberal arts – Picture from the Hortus deliciarum of Herrad von Landsberg (twelfth century)

The origin of liberal arts colleges is found in Europe.[1] In the history of education, the seven liberal arts comprised two groups of studies: the trivium and the quadrivium. Studies in the trivium involved grammar, dialectic (logic), and rhetoric; and studies in the quadrivium involved arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy. These liberal arts made up the core curriculum of the medieval universities. The term "liberal" in "liberal arts" is from the Latin word liberalis, meaning "appropriate for free men" (social and political elites), and they were contrasted with the "servile arts." The "liberal arts" thus initially represented the kinds of skills and general knowledge needed by the elite echelon of society, whereas the "servile arts" represented specialized tradesman skills and knowledge needed by persons who were employed by the elite.

Liberal arts curricula in Europe started to broaden during the age of the Renaissance, when the most famous and celebrated of the day, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, chose not to focus entirely upon one course of study or work, but to cross disciplinary lines consistently and study a variety of pursuits. Liberal arts came to mean all studies that impart a general, as opposed to a vocational or specialized, education. This tradition lived on in European educational institutions for some time after the Renaissance. However, during the Industrial Revolution, when technology was pushing the workforce with a specific set of skills, emphasis was once again placed upon educating the masses in a way that helped economic progress, particularly in regards to engineering and other technology-based fields.

In the United States however, the Yale Report of 1828 was produced in reaction to demands from society for education to start preparing students for the changing times. The Yale committee which put the report together concluded that a liberal arts curriculum, in which students were prepared for many different aspects of life, was more beneficial to other types:

In laying the foundation of a thorough education, it is necessary that all the important mental faculties be brought into exercise. ... When certain mental endowments receive a much higher culture than others, there is a distortion in the intellectual character. The mind never attains its full perfection, unless its various powers are so trained as to give them the fair proportions which nature designed. ... In the course of instruction in this college, it has been an object to maintain such a proportion between the different branches of literature and science, as to form in the student a proper balance of character. ... Our object is not to teach that which is peculiar to any one of the professions; but to lay the foundation which is common to them all.[2]

As a result of this report, Yale became one of the first schools to adopt a liberal arts program, which was then mirrored by other schools in the U.S. Since its publication, The Yale Report of 1828 became the classic argument for a liberal education and liberal arts colleges in the United States.[3]

However, it should be noted that at this early stage, liberal art schools were increasingly selective and expensive, so the vast majority of Americans did not benefit from this type of education. In fact, since its initial inception, liberal arts colleges in the U.S. have had a somewhat back and forth relationship with society.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Americans began traveling to Germany for doctoral studies. The influx of German-educated scholars into to the United States bought a new model for the American college, based on Enlightenment ideals of an all-round education and the critical research to discover truth that were the foundation for the research intensive Humboldt University of Berlin, and created what is now the research university. Also at this time, technical and other schools focused on specific training, developed in the United States. These new types of colleges as well as the research model for the university were antithetical to the mission of the liberal arts college.

Many of the colleges that were founded on ideals closer to those of liberal arts colleges (such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton) became research universities. Other colleges, notably the historically women's Seven Sisters colleges, and the group (informally known) as the "Little Ivies" that includes such prestigious schools as Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, and Williams, purposefully chose to remain small and committed to a liberal arts education. These elite institutions are noted as having "scaled the heights of prestige and selectivity and also turn away thousands of our best and brightest young men and women"[4] With their vision of educating the whole student, emphasis on education for its own sake rather than for job preparation, and valuing the idea of community, they have played a significant role in American education.

During the latter half of the twentieth century, the rise in vocational, professional, and community colleges, along with research institutions, decreased the overall enrollment in liberal arts schools. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, however, liberal arts schools were once again becoming more popular, which could be seen as a tendency in American society to have a dualistic workforce of both vocationally trained and liberal arts educated students.

Mission

Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania

In the United States, the designation of Liberal Arts College is given to schools that focus on giving its undergraduate students a multi-faceted education, requiring study of subjects that fall into the categories of humanities, social and physical sciences.[3] The purpose of this kind of education is to develop a well rounded student, who has the intellectual capacity to understand and utilize many different areas of intellectual thought and application. However, most liberal arts colleges allow, and some insist, that in addition to general studies, most students should also declare a "major" of study, one area in particular upon which the student focuses and studies in more detail. For example, a liberal arts student who decides to major in Biology must still take foundation courses in other physical and social sciences, as well as humanities, but will likely progress upon a tiered system of more in-depth study to bring their understanding and experience in the field of biology to a higher level than any other part of the liberal arts curriculum. Majors are offered so that students are properly prepared either to enter the workforce with experience in a particular area or have completed the necessary coursework to continue their education in a more focused discipline. In addition, the liberal arts education model is regarded not just as producing academically well-rounded students, but also helps create citizens who are able to interact and contribute to a multifaceted and complex society.

Most universities and colleges in America have liberal arts curricula. Some schools, like Community colleges have both vocational and liberal arts programs. However, the designation of Liberal Arts College comes from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which classifies 228 schools in America as liberal arts schools.[3] They are known for being residential and for having smaller enrollment, class size, and teacher-student ratios than universities. These colleges also encourage a high level of teacher-student interaction at the center of which are classes taught by full-time faculty rather than graduate student TAs (who teach some of the classes at research universities). Most of the schools with this designation are private institutions, and tend to cost significantly more than state or public schools.

Organization and Administration

Agnes Scott College

Most Liberal Arts Colleges are small, privately run institutions. Some of these schools are affiliated with religious institutions, while others are secular based. Often times the schools receive little to no funding from the public sources, but are financed through private endowments and the costs students and their families must pay in order to attend. While there is no set standard for private college administration, most schools have a President, Provost, Dean or Chancellor who oversees the entire day-to-day operation and management of the school. In addition, most schools have a Board of Governors or Trustees, to whom the President or Dean must report to. These schools are bound by little government mandates and are therefore allowed to develop and implement the curriculum and organization of their choosing, however must schools follow suggested guidelines so as to be certified by particular organizations that benefit the school and its image. One of the most important is the guidelines set by the United States Department of Education, which only grants participation into financial aid programs for schools that follow the criteria it sets forth.

Non-government Consortia groups in the U.S. for liberal arts schools include the Annapolis Group, Oberlin Group, Women's College Coalition, and the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges. The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges is a consortium of public liberal arts colleges. A number of liberal arts colleges are involved in Project Pericles or the Eco League.

Well-known consortia in the Eastern United States include the Little Ivies, Little Three, and the Seven Sisters Colleges. Four Eastern colleges, along with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, are also part of the Five Colleges Consortium in Western Massachusetts and three Eastern colleges comprise the Tri-College Consortium.

Similar consortia include the Claremont College Consortium in Southern California and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest in the Midwestern United States. Additional midwestern groups include the Five Colleges of Ohio, Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities, and the Great Lakes Colleges Association. Groups in the Southern United States include the Associated Colleges of the South, and the Seven Sisters of the South.

Most liberal arts schools have high academic standards for admission and look for students with well-rounded secondary educational experience so as to gage how well they will do in a liberal arts program. Most often admissions requirements include letters of recommendation, an essay, specific SAT or ACT scores, specific high school GPAs and sometimes an interview. While they do strive for the best possible students, most liberal arts schools today are recognizing that the socio-economic inequalities in America can sometimes hamper a students potential. Some liberal arts colleges now have programs designed for students who do not meet the normal admissions requirements but can demonstrate the potential to benefit from attending their institution and therefore are granted admission. Most often, scholarships and grants are set aside for these students as the ability to pay for college is one of the largest barriers for students on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum.

Bates College

In recent years some schools have taken this approach even further, advocating for the SATs, (Scholastic Aptitude Test) to be either optional or not used at all for determining admissions. The reason behind this move for such colleges as Smith College and Bates College is the long standing controversy that the SAT is culturally biased and that students from wealthy and middle class environments tend to do better than those from the lower socio-economic communities. Also in question is whether the test, which is used by most schools, is an accurate predictor of a students success in college or their intellectual abilities.[5] The counter argument to these claims is that there must be some standard used in determining college placement, and that College Board, the company that administers the SATs, continually adapts and changes the test to meet the needs of colleges and abilities of the students.[6] While its probably unlikely that a major break from the SATs with a majority of the liberal arts colleges will happen any time soon, the current debate illustrates the changing attitude of education, and particularly the desire to allow a more diverse student population access to liberal arts programs.

Around the world

Cussonia Court, University of Melbourne.

The designation Liberal Arts College is not used frequently outside the United States, but there are schools around the world that follow a similar, if not regional, version of the paradigm. In Japan, the International Christian University, which was established after World War II as the first American-style college in Japan.[7] Germany has the European College of Liberal Arts[8], and the Netherlands founded three liberal arts colleges over the last decade. In Ghana, Ashesi University is modeled after the U.S. Liberal Arts system[9]. While the concept is rarely expressed in Australia, it is presently becoming more influential in Melbourne. In that city, Victoria University now offers a two year "Diploma of Liberal Arts." Additionally, the University of Melbourne is becoming a US style graduate school, offering generalist undergraduate degrees similar to a liberal arts degree in the US.

There are many other schools in the world that do not designate themselves as Liberal Arts schools, but still teach a mixed curriculum of humanities and sciences, mostly in developed countries where education institutions have long been established. In the developing world, there are fewer schools that follow a liberal arts curriculum, mostly focusing on vocational schools so as to help the lower socio-economic class attain valuable work-related skills.

Notable Liberal Arts Colleges

The following is only a sample of the many liberal arts colleges in the U.S.

File:Wren3.jpg
The Wren Building with a snow-covered statute of Lord Botetourt, The College of William & Mary
  • Belmont University - Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state.
  • Bennington College - Bennington College was founded in 1932 as a women's college focusing on arts, sciences, and humanities. It became co-educational in 1969. The campus was once a working dairy farm, and still affords a beautiful view of Vermont's Green Mountains. The college has long been known as a leader in progressive, student-centered education, with particular strengths in the creative and performing arts.
Thomas Aquinas College
  • The College and William & Mary - The College of William and Mary is a highly selective, coeducational, public university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is one of the original eight Public Ivys.
  • Kings College - King's College is a highly-ranked Roman Catholic, private liberal arts college, located in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The college is administered by priests and brothers from the Congregation of Holy Cross, who are the founders of the University of Notre Dame, Stonehill College, and several other Catholic colleges in the United States.
  • Smith College - A private, independent women's Liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters and has supported the advancement of women in society, enabling them to receive the level of education that permits them to make significant impact in all arenas.
  • Spelman College - A four-year liberal arts women's college in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 1881 by Harriet E. Giles and Sophia B. Packard, the historically black institution began as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, and was renamed Spelman Seminary in 1884 and Spelman College in 1924. Spelman is considered to be the top female historically black college in the United States.
  • Thomas Aquinas College - A Roman Catholic liberal arts college offering a single integrated academic program. It is located in Santa Paula, California north of Los Angeles. It offers a unique education with courses based on the Great Books and seminar methodology.
Vassar's Main Building
  • Trinity College - Trinity College is a private, selective liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University, and is consistently ranked in the top 50 schools in the United States.
  • Vassar College - Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, Vassar was originally founded as a women's college in 1861, and became the first member of the Seven Sisters to become coeducational. Vassar is consistently ranked among the top one percent of colleges and universities in the United States and has been a front runner in higher education for nearly a century and a half.

Notes

  1. Philip L. Harriman, "Antecedents of the Liberal-Arts College." The Journal of Higher Education 6(2) (1935): 63-71.
  2. The Yale Report of 1828 · Part I, The Collegiate Way. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Encyclopedia of Education, Liberal Arts Colleges The Gale Group, 2002. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  4. Howard Greene and Matthew Greene, Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning: The Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence, (HarperCollins, 2000, ISBN 0060953624)
  5. (2001) Online NewsHour "A Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Transcript: SAT Debate" Retrieved July 2, 2008
  6. (2001) Online NewsHour "A Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Transcript: SAT Debate" Retrieved July 2, 2008
  7. (2008) International Christian University "History" Retrieved July 2, 2008
  8. (2008) European College of Liberal Arts"About ECLA" Retrieved July 2, 2008
  9. (2008) Ashesi University "MIssion Statement" Retrieved July 2, 2008

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Harriman, Philip L. "Antecedents of the Liberal-Arts College." The Journal of Higher Education 6(2) (1935): 63-71.
  • Pfnister, Allen O. "The Role of the Liberal Arts College." The Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 55, No. 2 (March/April 1984): 145-170.
  • Reeves, Floyd W. "The Liberal-Arts College." The Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 1, No. 7 (1930): 373-380.
  • Seidel, George. "Saving the Small College." The Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 39, No. 6 (1968): 339-342.

External links

All links Retrieved June 10, 2008:


Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.