A Liberal Arts Education

Schools across America are cutting Fine Arts programs left and right due to budget cuts and reduced funding, which is preventing students the ability to have an equally standardized arts education. About 95% of schools in America have eliminated or reduced their fine arts program’s funding. According to a report released by the PCCY only 149 out of the 268 public schools in Philadelphia have a choral teacher and 59% of them have an art teacher (Davis). These schools that lack fine arts teachers have felt the need to reduce faculty in order to pay for other expenses. This prevents students from receiving the benefits associated with a fine arts education. In addition, two out of every ten schools don’t have a choral or an art teacher (Davis).

Critical thinking means to think correctly in to find knowledge that is relevant and reliable. In terms of a liberal arts education critical thinking is crucial because a liberal arts education teaches students skills that are needed in the rapidly changing world that usually requires a lifetime of self-learning and understanding. Critical thinking is something that people usually must learn on their own; however, as a liberal arts school it is taught, so we have a better understanding of thinking critically.

Fareed Zakaria, author of “In Defense of a Liberal Education,” characterizes India as a technology-focused and economically driven country that values the idea of a liberal education about as much as someone values a fork when soup is for dinner. India is portrayed as a place that only cares about STEM related fields, stifling curiosity and denouncing the idea of learning for learning’s sake. When India and the United States are compared in “In Defence of a Liberal Education,” India comes across as uptight and old-fashioned while the United States is seen as a place of intellectual freedom. Zakaria maintains this view of India throughout the book, using his parents (his father is a lawyer and his mother is a journalist) to show there are exceptions to the rule.

Before the rewrite of the emergency preparedness plan could be started, the principal sent out forms to all the teachers and staff to find out what different types of special talents were in the building. The staff went through the forms and

For centuries, a liberal arts education was a sign of a well-rounded, creative individual. However, in an ever changing era, a liberal arts education is nothing more than an example of how little people enjoy change. Nowadays, numerous jobs require basic to intermediate computer skills, literacy in basic business and economic concepts, and a remedial understanding of geography, social customs, and current events. The core curriculum of a liberal arts education, which includes history, math, art, science, English, literature, and a variety of social sciences, needs to be expanded to encompass the subjects people encounter every day in the 21st century. This paper is directed towards a general audience dedicated to improving centers of

In the article "The Value of a Liberal Arts Education in Today’s Global Marketplace", the author, Edward Ray, talks about the importance of a liberal education in large companies. He believes that a STEM education is important, but a liberal education is the key to be successful in all fields of work. There are characteristics of a liberal education that everyone needs to have success in your career. This article was enjoyable because Ray made it clear that a degree in liberal education is important in the workforce by using examples of large businesses, statistics, and how it could help our country.

Liberal arts prepare diligent students for success by providing them opportunities to learn about themselves and about others around them. The liberal arts shape students’ perspective making them become more diverse in how they view the world. It teaches students qualitative thought and quantitative thought and how those two types of thought come together to form conclusions and effective decisions. Not only does the liberal arts require students to think critically, but it also creates students who know how to write and speak efficiently. A student who know how to talk to people and knows how to explain their thought process will eventually become leaders and great citizens for society.

Now that I am in college, I have pondered upon whether a liberal arts education is better than a vocational education; a topic that did not cross my mind in high school. A liberal arts curriculum includes the studies intended to primarily provide general knowledge such as language, philosophy, literature, and abstract science and to develop general intellectual capacities, such as reason and judgment, as opposed to professional or vocational skills (merriam-webster.com). As students wanting to achieve a higher education, we have to think about what we want for ourselves. Either you want to grow as an individual and obtain a major in whichever field you chose, or just learn what best interests you. People have many misconceptions toward what the liberal arts are and how they can benefit you. We often hear things like, “A liberal arts degree will not get you a real job.” or “A liberal arts degree is a luxury not a necessity.” Although this is what the majority of the people who are not aware about the actual facts say, this is not true. An examination of, The New Liberal Arts by author Sanford J. Ungar, and Are Too Many People Going to College? by author Charles Murray, will reveal to us why one gains more knowledge at a liberal arts school. Murray argues that a liberal arts education is only for the elite, but I believe that they shouldn 't be the only ones to attend because my vision of a liberal arts college is one where all students come in with the appropriate amount of

Without a knowledge in the Humanities, one would have a difficult time understanding the reason and purpose of a productive life. Today’s world is trying to downplay the importance of a liberal arts education. The ancient classical philosopher and the Renaissance thinkers understood the need for a liberal arts education. Alberti in the 15th century remarked “Letters are indeed so important that without them one would be considered a rustic, no matter how much a gentlem[a]n.” Humanities are necessary to understand how to conduct oneself purposefully throughout life. Some today question the importance of the study of history. Bruni explained “For the careful study of the past enlarges our foresight in contemporary affairs and affords to citizens

A study in general education (liberal arts) affects different aspects of my development both physically and mentally. A liberal arts education has shaped the form I conceive and return over individual circumstances. After attending class and reading all the benefits of a liberal arts education it has shaped the direction I held regarding a Liberal Arts education. A liberal arts education has shifted the way I study and the process I go about completing my school work. Furthermore, from the manner I organize my day to the way I organize my goals, a liberal arts education really shaped the way I do my everyday schedule. The liberal arts class changed me into a greater adapted, more efficient and effective member of society. A liberal arts education taught me the value and efficiency of critical and independent thinker. Within the real world, an individual who can show aforementioned qualities is higher valued than the person who cannot. With a liberal arts education, you are more fit to acquire and exhibit these skills. A liberal arts education are intended to broaden the general knowledge and experiences of the students, and the class accomplished just that. The class affected my mentality about school and the way I see the real world.

"Aspects of recent debates about the value of a liberal arts education, its usefulness and its appropriateness strike a familiar and disturbing historical chord." Recently in English class, my peers and read and discussed an article titled, "Why We Need Liberal Arts" written by Joseph R. Urgo from The Baltimore Sun. This article is about the importance and value of a liberal arts education. Liberal arts are college or university studies (as language, philosophy, literature, abstract science) intended to provide chiefly general knowledge and to develop general intellectual capacities (as reason and judgment) as opposed to professional or vocational skills Society may say that college is a waste of time and money, but is it really? Some people

Before proceeding any further in a discussion of vocational and liberal arts education, it is important to define and clarify the differences between the two systems. In a vocationally-based education system, students are trained to perform the specific job that they have chosen. While a vocational education system is not solely devoted towards working on the skills needed for the job – as it will provide some sort of general education, the general education that students will receive in a vocationally-based education system will be in order to achieve basic competency in general subjects such as math, reading and writing. On the other hand, a liberal arts education system is one which provides a general education for students in areas such

While the concept of the liberal arts dates back to antiquity, I firmly believe that its relevance and necessity couldn’t be more contemporary. When ancient scholars formulated the intent to inform students in myriad areas of study, their ideology centered around the concept of shaping citizens such that they might be empowered and educated in order to ideally perform their respective civic duties. Being informed was a necessity. More than ever before, my peers and I enter a higher education environment where acceptance of plurality is paramount. No area of study or research is insular, in fact, majors and disciplines are more interconnected than ever. Understanding multiple viewpoints, various belief systems, the way science relates to religion or sociology is inextricable from economics—this is why liberal arts is essential and effective.

Liberal arts education is the academic course of teaching at a college planned to provide general knowledge and consisting of the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, as against professional or technical subjects. In general the term refers to degree programs that point to provide a larger spectrum of knowledge and skills.

Mark Edmundson’s essay, “On the Uses of a Liberal Education,” was published in Harper’s magazine in the fall of 1997. Edmundson begins the article by giving us a glimpse into his own experiences teaching. He speaks on how, he dreads evaluation day at the end of each term, he feels he is being reviewed more on his entertaining ability and less on if the student felt changed by his course. Near the end of the article, Edmundson states, “My overall point is this: It’s not that a left-wing professional coup has taken over the university. It’s that at American universities, left-liberal politics have collided with the ethos of consumerism. The consumer ethos is winning.” (pg. 48) This article is about how the younger generation has been raised with a consumer way of thinking. This way of thinking has invaded higher education. The author is suggesting that consumerism that runs American society has now crept its way into colleges, and not just onto the campuses, but also inside the classrooms. Edmundson writes with great conviction and throughout the essay ask questions to his reader, then answers them. Edmundson was effective in making his argument clear using pathos to rouse the reader’s emotions and asking rhetorical questions to make the reader think about what he is trying to say. Hopefully, the reader will take something away from this article that has been written by a highly