The Ideas Of A University

Edmundson, Mark. "On the Uses of a Liberal Education." From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and a Reader. Ed. Stuart Greene and April Lidindsky. Bedford/ St. Martin’s: New York, 2008. 322-337. Print

In his essay “Inventing the University”, David Bartholomae kicks of his composition by explaining to readers what he believes is the accurate way to speak so that the audience will understand and take in what all you have said. He makes this very clear, for example he points out how all readers must feel equal and the writer must make them feel the same nobody should be looked down on. Bartholomae brings up how using the same dialogue is a major key as well. These mistakes are commonly made by freshman such as myself I’ll admit that. Throughout the essay Bartholomae reviews some pieces of writing that are written by students, while doing so he points out the flaws of the writing and comments on how they can do better. When Bartholomae expresses that he wants writers to learn how to speak the language that we as young adults do, He even brings up the fact that some writers either struggle or just do not know how to write in different commonplaces. He feels as though this student will have this struggle in college while writing many other papers. At some point of the essay Bartholomae tells how he was impressed by one student’s placement essay they had written while they attended orientation. In one of his main points he makes Bartholomae speaks on why students are placed in certain courses, which is based on errors made while taking the university’s placement test. These courses are designed to help students improve in those areas they scored low in. Bartholomae wants students to appropriate their dialogue by becoming one with the audience be comfortable enough to speak to them as if they were historians or members of the academy. Baratholonae says, “They have to invent the university by assembling and mimicking its language.”

One view that Ungur argues is false in Misperception No. 1 and 7 is that with the increasing prices of higher education in America, a liberal arts education isn’t as relevant in society due to the cost and that it has become a luxury to obtain, and students should focus on “career educations”. He does this by taking an Logos appeal, arguing that demand of liberal arts education will increase in the workplace in order to understand “the complex influences that shape the world we live in”. He states that a liberal arts education isn’t as

In the 1997 article, “On The Uses of a Liberal Education: As a Weapon In the Hands of the Restless Poor,” published by Harper’s Magazine, the social critic Earl Shorris described how political power could be achieved by a rather non-vocational educational discipline, the humanities. He emphasizes on how the knowledge of a liberal Education can be used as a form of weapon within the lives for the poor.

“What Is College For” by Andrew Delbanco, shows the need for both a universal college system; one which caters for all of society, and one which provides a liberal education. Delbanco gives many reasoned thoughts on how, and why the college system has become restricted, to purely those of a higher socio-economic background, rather than being exclusive to people of all backgrounds. The idea of college being a platform for people to learn, advance their skills, and become whatever they want to be has seemingly diminished over time. The ideas in favor of such an educational system are put forward, but they are foreshadowed in my opinion, by the notion that people should have the same educational opportunities in life; regardless of their economic or social background. A universal education system is needed for our society to prosper, especially if it provides a liberal education; this is not just for the individuals that make up a community, but for the community, as a whole.

Higher education has been known by many Americans as a luxury for only those who can afford it if not being forever in debt with student loans. The price of higher education has been in debate for many years but it still has not ceased to come into an agreement. Should higher education lower its price or is it worth paying for it? As Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus argue in their article “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” there are colleges worth mentioning about how successful their financial management has been correlated with their students success. The issue has also come into attention for Sanford J. Ungar, as he explains in his article “The New Liberal Arts,” although liberal arts education may be have its misconceptions, it does pay for its price. Hence, higher education (whether from a regular university or a liberal arts college) is worth the price, as it prepares individuals for the real world more than any other kind of education, it is an unique time were students are allowed to explore and put their abilities into test and it is the opportunity for many to overcome the many obstacles life has to offer.

In 1852 when John Henry Newman wrote his essay, “The Idea of a University,” he wanted to convey that a University’s purpose was to be able to educate first-rate members of the social order. Newman’s theory, although over a hundred years old, still applies to today’s college students; many are seeking higher educations to not only lead to successful careers, but to also become an improved person in society.

To discuss the value of liberal education, there should be a mutual understanding that investing in college means to invest in oneself. Furthermore, while some consider this investment to be a critical stepping stone to success, others dismiss it, explaining that school simply cannot prepare someone for the “real world.” Sanford J. Ungar and Robert Reich explore both of these subjective values in their essays “The New Liberal Arts” and “College is a Ludicrous Waste of Money.” Ungar, the president of Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, discusses why a liberal education should be sought after; he does so by introducing common misconceptions about liberal arts and, using argumentative persuasion, proves their insignificance. On the other hand, Reich, the former secretary of labor, argues against the conventional belief of college being the only road to financial wellbeing; rather, he explains why a two-year education may better accommodate many college students, especially those in need of immediate work or those that simply cannot afford a four-year education. In all, although both Reich and Ungar generally discuss liberal education, their perspectives differ when it comes to its practicality in the current economy. Also, to express their different views about liberal arts, the authors use contrasting tones to present their ideas to different intended audiences.

While the term liberal education is heard from the most prestigious university to an inner city community college, the phrase itself has a hazy definition at best. While educators across America struggle with the definition of the phrase, William Cronon uses purpose, structure, and appeals in his essay "Only Connect: The Goals of Liberal education," to define a liberally educated being and the characteristics that such an education should impart. Cronon capitalizes on inductive structuring to lead the reader along, gently building each new statement upon a foundation of previous ideas. This effectively leads the reader to a strange

In the article, What Should It Mean to Have a Liberal Education in the 21st Century?, D.G. Mulcahy presents Paul Hirst’s view of the traditional liberal education. Hirst, qtd. in Mulcahy’s article, explains that traditionally there are seven subjects of knowledge that humanity has used to understand reality. These seven subjects are math, the physical sciences, human culture throughout history, morality, art, religion, and philosophy (Mulcahy 469). These subjects are part of the majority of colleges’ liberal education or general education curriculum. While this is the intent of the more traditional Liberal Arts education, the system has evolved to meet the needs of a modern society.

In the” Are college worth the price of admission “Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, Professors of political science and international relationship at Queen College, focus on what Liberal arts college are doing good .They urge different things college have done to promote high education and give examples of college that are putting effort in liberal arts education .The authors also note the most important thing of liberal arts education are the small environment , affordability and the religious affiliation .Finally the author argues that liberal arts education is promoting higher education

It may come as no surprise to some that a quality education has the power to provide, for those who seek it, the opportunity of personal and professional transformation. It can be said that a society which encourages higher education is more likely to yield a population of individuals who are civic minded and purposeful as opposed to a society which does not. In an article entitled “What Can College Mean? – Lessons from the Bard Prison Institute, author Ellen Condiffe Lagemann supports the importance of a liberal arts education but also presents the case that quality education in the United States is not available to all.

College students get to analyze other subjects that they may have not shown an interest in before; that will help them construct their career. Getting the necessary skills students need, will assure their success on anything they choose to do. “It is the education which gives a man a clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, and a force in urging them” (Newman, 54). Education gives students a better understanding their own opinions, and judgments; it creates anxiousness in developing them, a fluency in expressing them, and a power in urging them.

In the article “The Death of Liberal Arts”, Nancy Cook acknowledges the importance of liberal arts on society, and how the death of them impacted the nation. By giving the reader information on the impacts liberal arts have, Centenary College should not have the qualification to abolish the humanity courses. Even though, liberal arts are dwindling in purpose for our everyday lives, they still play a huge role in society. Ultimately, the article is intended to render one various thoughts about the death of liberal arts.