Dr. Pareena Lawrence’s career in higher education has included posts as a professor, provost, and administrator. Currently, she is a visiting scholar at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Pareena Lawrence has been a strong advocate for the liberal arts approach to higher education and liberal arts majors and degrees.
The Liberal arts approach to education differs from the approach of professional schools. A college or university that was founded on the traditions of liberal arts approaches education holistically. Students learn about their professional fields, be it Accounting or Neuroscience but they also acquire skills, dispositions, and perspectives by taking courses in literature, history, and music to name a few that help give them context, breadth, and the ability to see connections that others may miss. A strong liberal arts curriculum focuses on developing core skills that transcend fields and foster adaptability. Our students can solve complex problems creatively, think critically, communicate persuasively, act ethically, and serve their communities effectively. These are the transferable skills that will help them navigate through disruptive times. Concepts taught within liberal arts programs are extremely valuable as decision-makers aim to solve complex problems related to technology--for example, the ethics of artificial intelligence and data mining or the global impact of a pandemic such as COVID-19. The Association of American Colleges and Universities and Gallup have noted that increasingly employers across the U.S. are prioritizing the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that liberal arts programs confer on students.
Liberal arts programs also teach creativity, another skill set that is in high demand in the labor market. Exposure to different ways of thinking, making connections between disparate disciplines, emphasis on reflection and discernment, being immersed in an environment that brings artists, painters, writers, thinkers, entrepreneurs to campus in interdisciplinary or nondisciplinary settings provides students with diverse perspectives on common themes and human experiences. This, in turn, instills them with curiosity, love of learning, and creative problem-solving abilities that can help them succeed in the workforce.
Unfortunately, the general population does not understand the power of a liberal arts education. They don't understand the philosophy and the skills this education imparts to their students because we as educators have not made a compelling case for it that the layperson can understand. Also, there is some misunderstanding about liberal arts degrees and programs and colleges. Another big complaint about liberal arts colleges, degrees and majors is that the salaries of these graduates do not justify the cost of education. However, while starting average salaries for graduates from liberal arts colleges and universities are typically lower compared to graduates from other universities, research by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce and others found that their salaries rise steadily over the course of their careers so much so that by late-career they exceed the salaries of other college graduates, not to mention the more fulfilling life the liberal arts graduates tend to leady tend to lead.
The Liberal arts approach to education differs from the approach of professional schools. A college or university that was founded on the traditions of liberal arts approaches education holistically. Students learn about their professional fields, be it Accounting or Neuroscience but they also acquire skills, dispositions, and perspectives by taking courses in literature, history, and music to name a few that help give them context, breadth, and the ability to see connections that others may miss. A strong liberal arts curriculum focuses on developing core skills that transcend fields and foster adaptability. Our students can solve complex problems creatively, think critically, communicate persuasively, act ethically, and serve their communities effectively. These are the transferable skills that will help them navigate through disruptive times. Concepts taught within liberal arts programs are extremely valuable as decision-makers aim to solve complex problems related to technology--for example, the ethics of artificial intelligence and data mining or the global impact of a pandemic such as COVID-19. The Association of American Colleges and Universities and Gallup have noted that increasingly employers across the U.S. are prioritizing the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that liberal arts programs confer on students.
Liberal arts programs also teach creativity, another skill set that is in high demand in the labor market. Exposure to different ways of thinking, making connections between disparate disciplines, emphasis on reflection and discernment, being immersed in an environment that brings artists, painters, writers, thinkers, entrepreneurs to campus in interdisciplinary or nondisciplinary settings provides students with diverse perspectives on common themes and human experiences. This, in turn, instills them with curiosity, love of learning, and creative problem-solving abilities that can help them succeed in the workforce.
Unfortunately, the general population does not understand the power of a liberal arts education. They don't understand the philosophy and the skills this education imparts to their students because we as educators have not made a compelling case for it that the layperson can understand. Also, there is some misunderstanding about liberal arts degrees and programs and colleges. Another big complaint about liberal arts colleges, degrees and majors is that the salaries of these graduates do not justify the cost of education. However, while starting average salaries for graduates from liberal arts colleges and universities are typically lower compared to graduates from other universities, research by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce and others found that their salaries rise steadily over the course of their careers so much so that by late-career they exceed the salaries of other college graduates, not to mention the more fulfilling life the liberal arts graduates tend to leady tend to lead.
