In the Wall Street Journal today, Brian Casey, President of Depauw, speaks to Douglas Belkin about the value of a liberal arts education and the difficulties it faces today.
On the challenges facing those toting Plato and quoting poetry, Casey said:
Trying to explain or even justify a liberal-arts education against all of the headwinds about getting your first job and return on investment and student debt is extremely tough. In many circles, liberal arts is thought of as being anathema to career pursuits, so you have to get over that, and you try to do it two ways. You say we will give your child the skills that will benefit them for life, as well as a deep array of services to help them get their first job, such as internships, recruiters and career centers. You have to hit the service side, as well as the pedagogy and the intellectual side.
Why, today, is it so hard to advocate for the liberal arts? For Casey’s answer and a dose of optimism about the fate of the liberal arts, see here.
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