Letter to the Editor
Susan Martinelli-Fernandez
Issue date: 10/2/09 Section: Opinion
As an educator, I love knowing what students think about their university experience. This information is invaluable to fellow administrators and faculty members in our discussions about curriculum, educational values, and what we owe to our students. Let me share some reflections on the Sept. 28 Western Courier editorial board opinion entitled, "Sentence: six years of school" and focus on understanding "general education," which is often used interchangeably with a liberal arts education.
Western Illinois University has a deep commitment to liberal arts education. It is this particular way of viewing higher education that we celebrate each fall with the John Hallwas Liberal Arts Lecture in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hallwas reminds us: "In the face of increasing vocational emphasis in higher education, pervasive shallowness in our culture, and excessive individualism (that overlooks social commitment), we believe that the liberal arts component of our bachelor's degree program should dare to assert that there is inherent value in learning, that human purposes must always receive reflective reconsideration, that coherence of thought and clarity of expression are essential values, that breadth of outlook and cultural sensitivity are indispensable, and most importantly, that transformation of the self to prepare for civic responsibility should be central to the undergraduate experience."
General education requirements are part of a liberal arts education and are what a university is all about. They are the methods by which students graduate with analytical and problem-solving skills. They are the tools that provide a more robust perspective of an issue and the implications of any course of action, such as social, ethical or political effects. They give graduates the ability to consume information critically and communicate clearly. All these things continue to have an effect on all students' post-graduate life; and certainly enhance the ability to find work and increase earning capacity.
Western Illinois University has a deep commitment to liberal arts education. It is this particular way of viewing higher education that we celebrate each fall with the John Hallwas Liberal Arts Lecture in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hallwas reminds us: "In the face of increasing vocational emphasis in higher education, pervasive shallowness in our culture, and excessive individualism (that overlooks social commitment), we believe that the liberal arts component of our bachelor's degree program should dare to assert that there is inherent value in learning, that human purposes must always receive reflective reconsideration, that coherence of thought and clarity of expression are essential values, that breadth of outlook and cultural sensitivity are indispensable, and most importantly, that transformation of the self to prepare for civic responsibility should be central to the undergraduate experience."
General education requirements are part of a liberal arts education and are what a university is all about. They are the methods by which students graduate with analytical and problem-solving skills. They are the tools that provide a more robust perspective of an issue and the implications of any course of action, such as social, ethical or political effects. They give graduates the ability to consume information critically and communicate clearly. All these things continue to have an effect on all students' post-graduate life; and certainly enhance the ability to find work and increase earning capacity.
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