A University of the Highest Order Does Trinity’s storied history in the liberal arts face extinction, or is its background the key to a brighter future? by Ashley Festa
“The liberal arts are dead.” At least, so say many of the onlookers of America’s work climate, claiming that liberal arts degrees have little value and provide poor training for today’s job market. As the liberal arts come under fire from all camps—political, social, cultural, economical—students might begin to question the return on investment of these degrees. Are they worth the cost? Will someone hire me after graduation? Will I be able to make a living? These questions and others prompt liberal arts schools, like Trinity, to ask: Is the liberal arts education model in danger in 21st century America?
Absolutely not, answers the University’s new president,
Danny J. Anderson, Ph.D., who took the reins at Trinity in May. He not only defends the value of a liberal arts education, but advocates that its foundational elements are essential for every graduate—in any discipline—to contribute to their field and to society in the best possible ways. “The sad reality is that we have students across the U.S. who are not achieving all that they could because liberal arts and sciences components are not a part of their general education,” Anderson said. “If the only thing that business students and engineers are taught is techniques, they are underserved in imagining all they could do.” Despite strong academic support for a liberal arts education, some students and parents may still wonder how such preparation contributes to a graduate’s success at Trinity and in the real world. Need proof? If harkening back to your own Trinity experience isn’t enough, take it from a handful of Tiger
alumni and faculty: a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences prepares students for learning beyond classroom walls, translating to success in any field a graduate may choose. English majors become technology whizzes, leading to executive management positions. Political science students become business managers who change the world one child at a time. Business students revolutionize the way research is shared internationally, adding untold value to every student’s academic experience. Classical studies majors use the techniques of analyzing ancient texts to inform strategies of calculating complex mathematical problems. These graduates and professors exemplify Trinity’s goals—to instill the ability to learn at the highest level and equip every student in every discipline to follow his or her calling after university, no matter the direction in which those opportunities may lead.
Summer 2015 TRINITY
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