The liberal arts style of education is one that is more focused on the growth of knowledge for a student and less on the career aspect for their futures. To some it seems like this style of education is going to be harmful for students in the future but in reality it is quite the opposite. In a study by Sanford Ungar, he shows his readers how a liberal arts education is going to benefit students in the search for jobs in the future, “An astounding 89 percent said they were looking for more emphasis on “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing,” and almost as many urged the development of better “critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills.” Seventy percent said they were on the lookout for “the ability to innovate and be creative.’” He is showing his readers that this style of education is changing the game for the job market and future employers. They want someone who is going to be able to have communication and critical thinking, which is highly developed in students who go to a liberal arts college. Why this type of education creates these more critical thinkers is due to the fact that they don’t focus solely on career oriented classes. They branch out and have their students take political science, literature, philosophy, sociology, and many other classes that force a deeper level of thinking and understanding onto the students. And this idea that the liberal arts is going to create more jobs and opportunities for students isn’t just thought up by Ungar. Jonathan Scheuer also agrees with the idea that a liberal arts education is going to open up the field of jobs that students can apply to. “The liberal arts ideal still has its eloquent defenders, and there is evidence that good jobs go to liberal arts graduates” is Scheuer’s idea that liberal arts does not stop young people from getting jobs. But what the liberal arts does is open up a level of thinking that is going to be beneficial for students in many years to come. When they start on this journey in the liberal arts, they are always going to be growing their knowledge and understanding of the field they are in.
Here at the University of New England we pride ourselves in being a liberal arts school that is very open to showing their students different topics and ideas to learn about. While students here do have a major, they also are required to take classes that are part of the Core Curriculum, Gen Ed classes, to give us a broader perspective and understanding of the materials we are learning. “Through the Core Curriculum, students will develop foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills that are necessary for understanding and assuming their roles in natural, social, humanistic, and other environments. The goals of this shared academic experience, as described below, are informed by several core values” is what the handbook describes the core curriculum to be and why it is in place. It is made to create students who are better at critical thinking and understanding information, which is going to help them with their jobs in the future. Not only does the handbook say that this curriculum promotes this higher level of thinking but also “As a whole, the Core Curriculum integrates these values in order to provide students with essential preparation for responsible caring for the wellbeing of individuals, civil societies, and our shared planet. Completing Core requirements provides a common learning experience through which students demonstrate application, synthesis, and integration of knowledge and skills central to a liberal arts education.” UNE wants their students to be able to think critically and truly demonstrate their knowledge. And this idea that UNE is something that many other people are striving for. Jonathan Scheuer, an author and liberal arts advocate, believes that being able to do a certain job and be specialized in a single field is not the most important thing in life. “But we all need to be well-informed, critical citizens. And the liberal arts prepare students for citizenship in all three senses—civic, economic, and cultural” is how Scheuer sees the liberal arts. He thinks that well rounded and critical thinking citizens are what is important in our society. When you are able to better understand your surroundings and what is going on around you, he believes that these students are going to be what creates a better society for ourselves. With Scheuer’s idea of these people and their ways of critical thinking, you can see that these types of students are what most schools are trying to obtain. And UNE’s model is trying to create these types of citizens, and students, that Scheuer talks about.
The objective of this curriculum that UNE has created is “Living in the interconnected world today demands an understanding of a variety of cultures, people and the environment. This understanding requires an ability to analyze issues from different points of view and to communicate effectively. Students must also be prepared to enter the world engaged as local, national and global citizens and professionals.” They want to be able to have students who are able to thrive in a society that doesn’t always see the deeper level of understanding. Creating these students and enhancing their critical thinking abilities is what is going to set them apart from others for the rest of their lives. This broader, focusing not only on career based classes, and more in depth education is going to help us in any field we step into in the future, and that is including STEM. STEM, by some liberal arts advocates, is not considered part of the education system of the liberal arts but Sanford Ungar believes that a liberal arts background is going to help students applying in the STEM field. “To be sure, there is much concern about whether America is keeping up with China and other rising economies in the STEM disciplines. No evidence suggests, however, that success in scientific and technical fields will be greater if it comes at the expense of a broad background in other areas of the liberal arts” is Ungar’s opinion on STEM and its connection to the liberal arts. This background in communication, writing and comprehension that liberal arts gives students is what STEM fields need. They need someone who can look at a problem in a different perspective and figure it out in ways that others cannot. UNE is doing a good job trying to give this solid background to its students so that no matter where they end up in the future they are going to have these liberal arts skills in their back pocket that they can pull out and use whenever they need to.
