Debra Humphreys
Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs
Association of American Colleges and Universities humphreys@aacu.org

Goals Of AAC&U Campaign for
Liberal Education

To engage the public with the nature and importance of a contemporary liberal education

To mobilize support for changes that campuses already are making to improve undergraduate education and ensure that all students receive an engaged and practical liberal education

To document the outcomes that business leaders need in their employees and those that citizens need in a diverse democracy

To assist campuses as they become more intentional about ensuring that all students receive a liberal education

To build the capacity of colleges and universities to communicate more effectively about liberal education and what really matters in college

To document how well students are achieving the key goals that characterize a quality liberal education

 A philosophy of education that empowers individuals with core knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of ethics, values, and civic engagement.
 Involving challenging intellectual encounters with important and relevant issues today and throughout history, a liberal education prepares graduates for socially valued work and civic leadership.
 A liberal education usually includes a general education curriculum that provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and ways of knowing, along with more in-depth study in one or more field.
 A liberal education provides students with the knowledge and skills employers are calling for and the society needs.





Liberal Education
— a philosophy of education that provides broad general education, cultivates intellectual agility, and fosters ethical and social responsibility
Liberal Arts and Sciences — specific disciplines traditionally associated with liberal education
Liberal Arts College — a small, residential college with close interaction between faculty and students and strong focus on liberal arts and science disciplines (not official designation)
General Education — the part of a curriculum shared by all students; provides broad study in liberal arts and forms basis for developing intellectual and civic capacities

 Today’s liberal education helps students discover clear connections between what they are learning and the lives they will lead as workers, citizens, community and family members.


A strong foundation in arts and sciences disciplines remains absolutely essential to a quality contemporary liberal education.
Today’s liberal education focuses both on important content and on teaching the arts of analysis and argument that can be carried to any field of study or endeavor.
 Liberal education has always and continues to introduce and examine diverse perspectives on any subject and to teach students how to evaluate competing claims and different perspectives while they form their own judgments.


“While issues of access and affordability in higher education remain important, there is also a compelling need to focus on what all students should achieve once they enroll in college. Behind the scenes, a consensus is emerging among business, civic, educational, and some public policy leaders about the kinds of learning
Americans need to thrive in a knowledge-intensive economy and a globally engaged democracy.
This consensus underlines the value of a liberal education for all students.”
Ron Crutcher, president, Wheaton
College, chair AAC&U board of directors

 We must raise the level of college student achievement to meet the rising expectations for work and life in the 21 st century. This should be a national priority or we will not meet the demands of a globally interdependent world and volatile economy.

Today’s students need to hone their abilities to analyze and solve problems, communicate effectively in writing and orally, and across cultures, understand numbers and the natural and physical world, and develop a sense of ethical and social responsibility.
 A liberal education—retooled and calibrated to 21 st century needs—is the best way to ensure that all students achieve these needed skills, knowledge, and competencies to succeed and make a difference in the
21 st century.

Knowledge
 science, social sciences, mathematics, humanities, arts
Intellectual and Practical Skills
 written and oral communication
 inquiry, critical and creative thinking
 quantitative literacy

 information literacy teamwork
 integration of learning
Individual and Social
Responsibility
 civic responsibilities and engagement
 ethical reasoning
 intercultural knowledge and competence
 lifelong learning

Nearly All High School Students
See College In Their Future
Fewer Looking To Alternative Schools
Do you plan to go to college sometime after high school?
Four-year college 73%
2003
80%
2002
66%
2001
68%
Two-year college 8% 6% 10% 7%
Community college
Training/ vocational school
Don’t plan to go to college
Not sure whether I will go to college
7%
4%
3%
5%
92% plan to continue their education
5% 8% 7%
3% 5% 6%
3% 6% 5%
3% 5% 3%
State of Our Nation’s Youth. Spring 2004 . Conducted by Peter D.
Hart Research on behalf of Horatio Alger Association.




College instructors estimate that 42 percent of their students are not adequately prepared.
24% of high school graduates say they faced high expectations in high school.
35% of college students report large gaps in at least one area of key learning skills.
 Only 44% of high-school students nationwide report that they are enrolled in college preparatory (25%) or advanced placement (19%) classes.
 Only 34% of students in the class of 2002 left high school with minimum standards for college admission (including graduating from high school).
Sources: Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College & Work . 2005
Achieve
; State of Our Nation’s Youth
. Spring 2004. Conducted by Peter D. Hart Research on behalf of Horatio Alger Association; Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates: 1991-
2002, February 2005. Manhattan Institute.

“Today’s students and their parents have heard the message that college is essential to success in today’s world. But no one has told them what they really need to gain from college or how to prepare for it.”
Lee Shulman, president, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and member, LEAP
National Leadership Council

 Executives will need a broad understanding of other cultures, other languages, history, science, and the arts, if they are to successfully navigate a rapidly changing future business environment.
 Good writing skills and good public speaking skills are crucial to business success.
 The real challenge of today’s economy is not in making things but in producing creative ideas.
 Reading, writing and basic arithmetic are not enough.
These skills must be integrated with other kinds of competency to make them fully operational.

Sources: Paul Dillon, The College Board Review , no. 164; David
Kearns, quoted in Reclaiming the Legacy by Denis Doyle; SCANS
Report, “What Work Requires of Schools”

 The most important outcomes: problem-solving and analytic thinking; oral and written communication; critical thinking; teamwork skills; strong work habits.
 Recent graduates most lack: work ethic, people skills, and communication skills.
 Civic engagement is not an important outcome of college.
 Limited and/or misguided understanding of liberal education; believe it is less rigorous.

 Today’s graduates are likely to change jobs and careers several times.
 Complex oral and written communication skills more important than ever and lacking.
 Creativity and innovation are keys to success.
 Scientific and quantitative literacy increasingly important and lacking.
 Cross-cultural communication and knowledge increasingly important.

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To explore college students’ and prospective college students’ hopes, concerns, expectations, and goals regarding college

To assess college students’ and prospective college students’ understanding of and attitudes toward liberal education and key outcomes of college


Peter D. Hart Research conducted 8 focus groups for AAC&U between July 26 and August 3, 2004 and 2 focus groups in March, 2005 (WI), among:

Rising public high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year college or university

Rising juniors and seniors at public and private colleges and universities

The groups were held in three locations:

Indianapolis, Indiana

Portland, Oregon
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Alexandria, Virginia
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Milwaukee, Wisconsin (March, 2005)
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The discussions focused on personal aspirations relating to college and not on outcomes of college as they relate to society as a whole.

Note: because this is qualitative research, results should not be interpreted as broadly representative of the sampled populations.

 Limited resources are available on how to prepare for college life academically and socially.
 Most valued sources for honest answers and relevant information are those with recent experience:

Siblings

Friends

Recent graduates
 Less valued sources include:

Parents

College counselors

Teachers

Colleges and universities

 The primary motivation is self development and maturation to enhance potential for success in the workforce
 How college contributes to career success:

More career choices and job opportunities

Specific skills and knowledge required by field of interest

Knowledge that will be helpful throughout life (on and off the job)

Capabilities, ethics, and values essential to professional success

 A means to an end or an end in itself?
Students have varied opinions.
 “I don’t think it means much of anything, it’s just a piece of paper. But that piece of paper will get you the interview at whatever job you want.”
College student, Alexandria, VA
 “Well, I just think that it’s about the journey. Like the whole process – you have to have all these general requirements to making you that wellrounded person…becoming a better thinker…it’s more the process rather than the piece of paper.”
College student, Portland, OR

Outcomes Of College For High School And
College Students
(VA, IN, OR)
Most Important Outcomes

Maturity and ability to succeed on one’s own

Time-management skills

Strong work habits

Self-discipline

Teamwork skills and ability to get along with different types of people
Challenge: students don’t readily link these outcomes to the college curriculum

Outcomes Of College For High School And
College Students
(VA, IN, OR)
Middle Tier Outcomes

Tangible business skills and specific expertise in field of focus

Critical thinking skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills and analytical ability

Exposure to business world

Leadership skills

Outcomes Of College For High School And College
Students
(VA, IN, OR)
Least Important Outcomes

Values, principles, ethics

Tolerance and respect for different cultural backgrounds

Competency in computer skills
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Expanded cultural and global awareness and sensitivity

Civic responsibility and orientation toward public service

Outcomes Of College For High School And
College Students
(Wisconsin)
Most Important Outcomes

Maturity and ability to succeed on one’s own

Tangible business skills and specific expertise in field of focus **

Strong work habits

Teamwork skills and ability to get along with different types of people

Self-discipline

Outcomes Of College For High School And
College Students
(Wisconsin)
Middle Tier Outcomes

Communication skills

Critical thinking skills

Time-management skills **

Values, principles, ethics
**

Knowledge of and respect for people of different cultural backgrounds **

Exposure to the business world

Leadership skills

Outcomes Of College For High School And
College Students
(Wisconsin)
Least Important Outcomes

Community involvement and civic engagement

Competency in computer skills

Expanded knowledge of cultures outside the U.S. **

Expanded knowledge of American culture and history **

Expanded understanding of science and its relation to other fields **

 Awareness of liberal education is non-existent among HS students, and college students are only somewhat aware.
 Participants associate liberal education with:
 The arts and humanities or liberal arts colleges

General education and broad requirements

Being well rounded, promoting individualism, and encouraging critical thinking

Being politically skewed to the left

Total freedom for students in their approach to education

No right or wrong answers

 “It’s a well-rounded education that exposes you to a variety of ideas, disciplines, and fields. It encourages appreciation and awareness of a variety of fields.
It helps create a well-rounded individual who is knowledgeable about a variety of things. Life is interdisciplinary, and so is a liberal education. Thus, this type of education is valuable both personally and professionally. It also allows a person to find and focus on what they truly love to study.” -College student, Portland, OR
 “It brings up both liberal arts, which to me means a broad education not involving the hard sciences. It also means a politically liberal education, which is the way a lot of colleges are.”
-College student, Alexandria, VA

It is an education that requires the student to participate in studies not necessarily related to the major in order to give them a well-rounded education.
-High school student, Milwaukee, WI

 “It is broad, encompasses a little bit of everything. I think people who go into this are a little unsure of what they want to do. For me, this would not be the type of education I want.
-High school student, Milwaukee, WI
 A liberal education would be the opposite of a conservative education.
Conservative education focuses on a more individualistic approach to problem-solving, while liberal would focus more on a more communal approach to problem solving.
-College student, Milwaukee, WI
 It makes me think about the knowledge I have and the critical thinking that takes place, as well. It is the ability to reason, understand, and make good decisions in life.
-College student, Milwaukee, WI

“Liberal education is a philosophy of education that empowers individuals, liberates the mind from ignorance, and cultivates social responsibility. A liberal education comprises a curriculum that includes general education that provides students broad exposure to multiple disciplines and more in-depth study in at least one field or area of concentration.”
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Most of the high school students preferred to attend a college that offers a liberal education curriculum as defined above.
They have heard very little about a liberal education from any source.
Those who are more career-focused expressed less enthusiasm for liberal education. WI students expressed more neutral views of liberal education.
For those more positive about liberal education, specific areas that are appealing include:
 Mix of general education and major field,
 Opportunity to explore and make informed choices about major,

The social responsibility component is not a major draw.

 College students embrace the goals and concepts of liberal education in theory.

Benefits of liberal education:

Diversity of curriculum – exposure to multiple disciplines, complements skills learned in major
 Preparing students for life after graduation – ability to adapt, tools to meet challenges and take advantage of opportunities
 But they also identify a gap between the ideal and their own experience with general education:

Dissatisfied with limited options of general education

No sense of connectedness or integration of major

 Students attending a college that provides strong liberal arts experiences (rather than just calling itself a liberal arts college) graduate with better skills:

Reading comprehension
 Critical thinking

Science reasoning
 Writing skills
 Openness to diversity/challenge

Learning for self-understanding
 Sense of responsibility for one’s own success
Source: Wabash Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts

 Serious lack of national data on outcomes
 Majority of students self-report high gains on:

Written and oral communication

Critical and analytic thinking
Source: Liberal Education Outcomes: A Preliminary Report on
Student Achievement in College (Washington DC: AAC&U 2005).

 Fewer students report gains on:

Civic responsibility and engagement

Developing a code of values and ethics

Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
Source: Liberal Education Outcomes: A Preliminary Report on
Student Achievement in College (Washington DC: AAC&U 2005).

 ETS Academic Profile Shows 8% of seniors proficient at
Level 3 Math—up from 5% as freshman
 ACT CAAP math scores show decline from freshman to senior year
 ETS Academic Profile Shows 11% at Level 3 writing
 ETS Academic Profile Shows 6% of seniors proficient in critical thinking; 77% not proficient
Source: Liberal Education Outcomes: A Preliminary Report on Student
Achievement in College (Washington DC: AAC&U 2005).

“Liberal Education is essential to an economy dependent on innovation and to the success of a deliberative and diverse democracy. We must do far more to ensure that students achieve key liberal education outcomes. When we make the aims of liberal education our compass, we build society’s ability to creatively solve problems, engage and learn from our differences, and forge a stronger community. It is for just these reasons that liberal education is our best investment in America’s promise.”
Carol Geary Schneider, president, AAC&U

www.aacu.org/advocacy
Debra Humphreys humphreys@aacu.org