Why the Liberal Studies Major?
The American Association of Colleges and Universities said the following about liberal education in its 2020 report What Liberal Education Looks Like:
"A liberal learner is an active participant and a partner in his or her own education and in the education of others, engaging in forms of inquiry that train the intellect through a focus on real-world problems that draw the learner into a relationship with others - extending well beyond student-faculty interaction and traditional classroom settings and into wider communities."
"Students develop intellectual and practical skills - inquiry and analysis; critical and creative thinking; written and oral communication; teamwork and problem solving; quantitative, information, scientific, and technological literacies. "
"Through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges, liberal education also entails cultivation of personal and social responsibility, whose aspects include civic knowledge and engagement at the local and global levels, intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, and a disposition to lifelong learning."
A 2019 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey affirms that the very skills provided through liberal education are those that are highly sought after by employers. Executives and hiring managers reported to that they place a high priority on graduates demonstrated proficiency in skills and knowledge that cut across majors.
