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A
liberal education:
Priceless, even by conservative estimate
October greetings from Green Bay’s University of Wisconsin!
Several months ago in this newsletter, I used a trip Cyndie and I took
to Mexico’s Mayan ruins to “get academic” with you.
The responses were the best I have ever received. So, be forewarned, I
am going to try getting rather academic in this edition, as well.
Before I do, though, I’ll quickly reference the two photographs
here, and tell you they were
taken last Friday at the Chancellor’s Scholarship Dinner.
The smiles tell the story. Part fundraiser, part festive social gathering,
the event was exceptionally well attended. As a barometer of community
support for our students, faculty and staff, and appreciation of our student
“All-Stars,” its success was off the dial. (More on that on
page 3 of this newsletter.)
Back to today’s topic: the “how” of a UW-Green Bay liberal
arts education and why it is increasingly valuable.
This summer, I had an opportunity to gather with other chancellors and
presidents in Montreal for the annual meeting of the American Association
of State Colleges and Universities. It is so easy for all of us to become
captives, in our thinking, of our own immediate experience, and such meetings
are always stimulating reminders of the exciting initiatives going on
in higher education across the nation.
It was also the Shepards’ first visit to Montreal: wonderful people,
great food, a chance for Cyndie to use her French and to explore blocks
and blocks of twisting-and-turning underground shopping that makes UW-Green
Bay’s tunnel system look like simplicity itself.
One of the most stimulating presentations had to do with the future so
swiftly approaching. Among the many rapidly changing domains, one really
hit home to this academic: The world of the future is one where individuals
have available the tempting opportunity to define their own truths.
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The best ambassadors for the value of a UW-Green Bay liberal
arts education are, invariably, our students themselves. Among those attending
the scholarship dinner wre Kate Wondra, Crystal Jushka, Katie Gassenhuber,
Sarah Gnadt, Joe Smith and Ryan Smith.
The
presenter used two newspaper headlines, both from respected sources, but
one described recent elections in Iraq as an important success and another
characterized the elections as a serious failure. Take your pick.
I was reminded of headlines coming out of Madison this summer, just as
contradictory: “Governor’s Budget Cuts UW System by $65M,”
or “Governor’s Budget Reinvests in the UW System.”
Here was the presenter’s point: With costs for access to any kind
of information rapidly approaching zero, ours is a future where any zealot
can come to be convincingly certain of most anything. As we ponder the
subject of terrorism, I assume I do not have to elaborate on the risks
inherent in such a future.
Got me to thinking about how we handle this in higher education and, in
particular, at UW-Green Bay.
Traditionally, our answer has been “liberal education.” No,
that’s not about turning out a bunch of Democrats and, indeed, “liberal
education” as we inherited it from Great Britain, was a distinguishing
strength and asset reserved for the upper classes.
Bear with me as I go even further back in the history
of the academy.
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