One of the megatrends in higher education that the WIN Foundation is tracking and considering is the reduction in popularity of a so-called liberal arts education - in favor of a more applied, vocational approach to tertiary education. Some people would argue that what is most important is for students to immerse themselves in their discipline of choice... with only a "smattering" of coursework outside of their major. Moreover, that course of study should directly align with a specific vocation. This is not a thought that is unique to today's US market -- university traditions in many other countries are aligned this way as well. In fact, when my wife and I lived in Australia, we were shocked that a person could become a lawyer with just four years of post-high school training...
So, why would anyone want to take these "other courses" .... the courses outside of your major? Courses in the Humanities or the Sciences? Courses in Art or Music? English? Proponents of the liberal arts education often express the reason as learning how to think and argue critically. But what does that really mean?
I would ask you to spend 25 minutes watching 1/2 of this YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY). The first 25 minutes of this hour long video is a recorded session of the first class in Professor Michael Sandel's Harvard course in political philosophy, called "Justice." Sandel's course has been lauded by many as a prime example of the sort of critical thinking exercising that is core to the liberal arts experience. It is a course that examines moral and ethical dilemma in a way that is life changing for the student - it forces them to examine and defend their values in extremely challenging scenarios. They learn what they stand for, and they learn to be tolerant of other views.
Why does this matter? It matters because all of humanity lives in a modern society that is constantly brushing up against moral and ethical questions - in virtually every vocation and in the development of public policy that pushes each of us in one political direction or another. Today's society also pushes each of us into potentially uncomfortable situations with people that don't share our views. Situations that today could become more than just, "uncomfortable."
This course, taught by Professor Sandel has hundreds of students in a huge, multi-tiered theater - and while he is masterful in his presentation, this class lacks what Wittenberg has - a level of intimacy that comes from small class sizes. I remember classes like this in History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology... classes where the professor sat with us at the table teaching the class - but in reality we were all part of the experience... the professor was not the "sage on the stage." There was no place to hide in a class of 10-20 (sometimes even smaller). We all had to participate. We were all forced to experience this critical thinking exercise together, and it left a lasting impression on who we are.
Now retired, I can remember dozens of moral/ethical dilemma that I encountered in my career where this critical thinking helped me to navigate and articulate a path forward for both myself and my company. Sometimes these were life changing questions - e.g., should we design weapons that can kill without a soldier "in the loop?" Should insurance companies use genetic sequence data to affect rates for people who have a high likelihood of developing debiliating or deadly diseases? Should universities deny admission to a student based on predictive analytics that assess the likelihood that a prospective student will be not be successful based on data describing other students with similar characterisics? Should technology be built and sold, just because we can - regardless of consequences?
I presented a colloquium at Wittenberg on these topics before COVID struck, and the student engagement was fantastic. This is what we're fighting for when we talk about why we want Wittenberg to continue on for future generations of the curious ... These are students of every background and experience, who through this crucible become responsible members of society.
If you care about the perpetuation of this set of essential skills in the coming generations of students, join us at the WIN Foundation. We are working to articulate what 21st Century Liberal Arts is, and how Wittenberg is uniquely positioned to present that vision to students, parents, academia, and employers.
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