How Others See a Liberal Arts Education

Liberal Arts Means Liberating Ways of Thinking In their 2010 book Humanity, Diversity, and the Liberal Arts, Aaron Thompson and Joseph Cuseo claim that liberal arts education is for liberation—freedom from unexamined beliefs. The goal of this education is to cultivate “self-directed critical thinkers…with knowledge spanning many subjects.”

Liberal Arts Means Well-Rounded Ways of Thinking When students learn ways of thinking from many disciplines and connect them through unique modes of inquiry, they become well-rounded, independent thinkers. It is important to apply these ideas to different contexts and scopes, understanding the local and global significance of classroom learning. Cuseo and Thompson say that,

“Learning and connecting disciplines of thought in the liberal arts means a student should be able to think and solve problems

• concretely, • abstractly, • linguistically, • numerically, • objectively, • subjectively, • imaginatively, • symbolically, • systematically, • and inspirationally.”

A liberal arts education seeks to promote self-awareness and self-development in students. An educated person should develop not only an intellectual and vocational awareness, but also emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual awareness of themselves before graduating (Cuseo, Thompson, page 10). At Evergreen, we add cultural awareness to that list as well. That is to say, it’s important to learn about yourself and develop many different kinds of intelligence in college beyond the strictly academic. (For definitions of these ways of growing, see Cuseo and Thompson or the Evergreen New Student Handbook.)

Liberal Arts Means Being an Engaged Citizen In his 1998 essay, “Only Connect…” The Goals of a Liberal Arts Education, William Cronon frames the goal of education as developing the student as a whole person, who is not only an engaged and eloquent learner, but also an engaged citizen. Above all, Cronon places the ability to make connections as the most important skill of a student and citizen. He recognizes a liberal arts graduate through these qualities:

• They listen and they hear. • They read and they understand. • They can talk with anyone. • They can write clearly and persuasively and movingly. • They can solve a wide variety of puzzles and problems. • They respect rigor not so much for its own sake but as a way of seeking truth. • They practice humility, tolerance, and self-criticism. • They understand how to get things done in the world. • They nurture and empower the people around them.

Exercises to Explore Your Liberal Arts Education

Exercise: “Liberal Arts” Freewrite This exercise helps you get some of your thoughts onto the page or into a sound recorder. Respond to this prompt: Now that you’ve read through three definitions of the liberal arts, what do you think your liberal arts degree is for? How would you define the goal of your education for yourself? Write freely. Then use your definition to help you analyze your experiences at Evergreen.

Exercise: Using the Six Expectations/Transcript Review Expectations Coding Key This exercise will help you connect your personal experiences and skills with qualities expected of college graduates. Completing it can help you find language to sell your strengths or help you identify gaps in your education to fill before graduating. You can find the Expectations Coding Key at evergreen.edu/institutionalresearch/teachingandlearning.

Compile a provisional transcript by printing out your current Academic Statement, academic summary, course descriptions, faculty evaluations, and any self-evaluations you have submitted to your transcript from my.evergreen.edu or by ordering an unofficial transcript.

Step 1: Compile a provisional transcript by printing out your current Academic Statement, academic summary, course descriptions, faculty evaluations, and any self evaluations you have submitted to your transcript from my.evergreen.edu or by ordering an unofficial transcript. Step 2: Save or print a copy of the Expectations Coding Key at evergreen.edu/ institutionalresearch/teachingandlearning. Review the expectations. If you have questions about what they mean, you might consult with your faculty or an academic and career advisor. Step 3: Read through your “transcript” and score yourself (or have a friend score you) according to the rubric. Step 4: Ask yourself if your score accurately reflects how you feel you meet the expectations? Do you have some information to share with your audience that isn’t currently in your transcript, such as an area of focus, capstone project, or greater synthesis of your Evergreen journey?

Note: The transcript review coding key comes from the Transcript Review, which is a recurring event where faculty and staff read randomly selected transcripts of recent graduates to determine how they meet the Six Expectations of an Evergreen Graduate. The coding key is used to break down the Six Expectations into many skills and qualities that college students should possess, each meaningful outside of Evergreen.