The preservation of the liberal arts is crucial to our futures.
We have all heard the term “communication is key”, and it is.
Communication is the foundation of all human interaction: we are never not communicating. We learn how to communicate and how to understand how others communicate in a liberal arts education.
Not only does a liberal arts education teach us how to communicate, but it also teaches us how to think critically and analytically.
It also teaches us how to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to issues we are faced with, as well as instilling a sense of moral responsibility and an appreciation for life and the arts in its students.
Many staff members here at the Xavierite are enrolled in programs that fall within the liberal arts category, and we hold the lessons we have learned from our involvement in the liberal arts dear to our hearts.
A member of the Xavierite Editorial Board stated that the liberal arts have “taught me so many skills that have shaped me as a person”.
Another member added that they have developed so many skills that they can apply outside of their chosen career and has made them a “more well-rounded person”.
An article published last week, titled “The Impact of the Liberal Arts on My Life”, also discussed the importance of the liberal arts.
It stated that “The liberal arts have shaped the lives of many people, and they should be given the space they need in classrooms across the world to continue to do so. Our futures depend on it”.
The liberal arts are crucial to both academic and human development.
By nature, we rely on an understanding of many subjects within the liberal arts category to live our lives to the fullest.
A life led without critical thinking, without the ability to adapt and learn new skills, is a life led without access to a liberal arts education.
A member of the Editorial Board stated that “the liberal arts have taught how subjects such as English, communication, and psychology can not only be applied outside of the classroom, but why they are necessary subjects for everyone to learn because they are crucial to all aspects of our lives”.
In recent years, many higher education institutions have experienced a decrease in students enrolling in liberal arts programs and have also been decreasing the amount of liberal arts programs that they offer.
This downward trend shows no signs of stopping.
According to an article titled “Students and Colleges are Devaluing the Liberal Arts and Humanities. That’s a Mistake”, there has been a 25% decrease in the amount of students actively studying the liberal arts and humanities in American colleges since 2012.
What is causing this decrease? Are students being nudged away from the programs for the comfort of more predictable fields? Or are students genuinely not interested in these programs anymore?
According to an article released by Forbes Magazine, titled “The Problem Facing Liberal Arts Education Is Not Subject Matter—It’s Application”, this downward trend could be attributed to concerns over job opportunities after graduation.
While there may be some cause for concern over this, it must be acknowledged that many programs outside of the liberal arts also come with the same concerns for post-graduation job opportunities and stability.
It would be much more beneficial for prospective students to take into consideration the connections between the liberal arts and STEM programs, rather than to stare into the chasm that separates them.
Each program, ideally, builds off of one another. The pedagogical approach of the liberal arts and humanities could provide all students with new ways of learning and understanding, a more well-rounded student, as was mentioned earlier.
Continuing to make room for the liberal arts as it evolves is fundamental.
When questioned on whether or not they see a future for the liberal arts, a member of the Editorial Board stated that realistically, they did not.
They stated that “the education system is pushing career-focused majors and universities are following suit without giving a second thought to the fact that the liberal arts are at the very core of all of these “career-focused” programs”.
Another member added that they “really hope there is a future, especially since I know many people who want to study the topics it contains”.
A future without the liberal arts is not ideal, and is arguably considerably bleak.
A member of the Editorial Board went so far as to say that they “do not think there could be a future without the liberal arts”.
The future of the liberal arts is in the hands of current and future college students.