A Liberal Education Does Not Make You a Liberal or a Conservative, But It Can Help You Decide….. Prof. Jennifer Kinney Department of Sociology and Gerontology The Meaning of a Liberal Education

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn. (AMR research, inc.)

Agenda Define “liberal education” Provide a brief history and philosophy of liberal education at Miami University Discuss how you can promote liberal education at Miami University

What is a Liberal Education? “A truly liberal education is one that prepares us to live responsible, productive, and creative lives in a dramatically changing world.” “It is an education that fosters a well-grounded intellectual resilience, a disposition toward lifelong learning, and an acceptance of responsibility for the ethical consequences of our ideas and actions.” (The Association of American Colleges and Universities)

The Risks of Getting a Narrow Education Prepares students for jobs that might not exist when they graduate Doesn’t prepare students for new jobs that will emerge Does not prepare students for the challenges of citizenship or professional life (Higdon, 2005)

Why is Liberal Education Important? Society is changing rapidly Students are no longer “guaranteed” a job just because they have a college degree World politics have made a global society a fact of life A liberal education is a practical solution to the changing needs and concerns of society

What Do Employers Look For? Communication skills Quantitative reasoning Orientation to innovation Sophistication regarding diversity Grounding in cross-cultural and global learning (Schneider, 2005)

“Liberal education may be more relevant today than at any previous time due to the current social, cultural, and economic challenges facing college graduates. ” (Kuh & Umbach, 2005)

Liberal Education at Miami University Liberal education is not unique to MU The Miami Plan for liberal education was implemented in 1992; it took 4 years to implement The Miami Plan is not a distribution requirement The Miami Plan includes a pedagogy for liberal learning The Miami Plan continues to evolve

The Miami Plan All divisions of the University offer liberal education courses Students are required to take courses in English composition; fine arts; humanities & social sciences; U.S. & world cultures; natural science; and mathematics, formal reasoning & technology

The Miami Plan (continued) Students are required to take at least one course that is taught from a “non-dominant perspective” There are three levels of courses in the Miami Plan--Foundation, Thematic, and Capstone

The Goals of The Miami Plan Thinking critically Understanding contexts Engaging with other learners Reflecting and acting

What The Miami Plan Provides Students Exposure to areas of knowledge/endeavors from a variety of disciplines, with an emphasis on critical thinking Preparation to be literate in the 21st century; to be lifelong learners who are prepared to meet the challenges of personal, professional, and community life

Your Role in The Miami Plan “Don’t look at me--I just got here!” Social breakdown syndrome (sort of) Empower the student to take ownership for her/his educational choices

Our responsibility is to provide students with opportunities It is each student’s responsibility to take advantage of these opportunities The Miami Plan can be used to help students develop and integrate their unique sets of interests Responsibility for the Miami Plan is a Two-Way Street

Focus vs. exploration Faculty attitude regarding the Miami Plan Rigor of courses The Miami Plan: Conceptual Challenges

Too few Miami Plan courses All units offer Miami Plan courses, but some units offer more than others Some Miami Plan courses have restrictions Students like to “double dip” The Miami Plan: Logistic Challenges

Understand the goals and objectives of the Miami Plan, and be sufficiently familiar with it that you can advise students about the “nuts and bolts” Encourage students to make their own decisions about the plan Helping Students to Successfully Navigating The Miami Plan

“ Students need to become intentional architects of their own learning, actively setting goals, exploring, reflecting, and integrating acquired knowledge and experiences into existing world views.” (AAC&U, 2002) Living The Miami Plan