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What new liberal arts
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In Stanford J. Ungar’s article “The New Liberal Arts,” he claims that the misperceptions about a liberal arts degree has affected current views when it comes to seeking this particular degree. One misperception that Ungar states is that it might be too hard to find a job with a degree in this path. “It is no surprise, then, that a growing number of corporations, including some in highly technical fields, are headed by people with liberal-arts degrees.” (228). Succeeding in a specific field (liberal arts degree) can have its pro’s and con’s. Many students cannot find a job, while most have the possibilities of running a company. It is much better for college students to explore and receive a wide range of knowledge because of the many job options
after college may be broader. There are many college graduates that graduate and are stuck without a job because of the small range of options available. Life after college can be a bit rough and even tougher if you cannot find a job. Quite frankly if someone wants a job right after college they should highly suggest digging deeper than a liberal arts degree. According to Ajc.com, a web blog, it states that “A strong job search strategy and a better preparation for the job process can make the transition much easier.” The article is indicating that there is hope with a liberal-arts degree, but you just have to look much harder than someone with a Bachelor’s degree. Although it may be hard to find a job with a liberal-arts degree, having a college education is much more valuable than having no college education at all.
All though “The New Liberal Arts”, Sanford J. Ungar uses seven misconceptions about liberal arts on why learning the liberal arts. And explain why is still relevant and will be for coming years. The first misperception that he advocates is that a liberal arts degree is no longer affordable. Vocational training is better alternative to liberal arts in today. In this recession it is a financially wise decision to obtain a career oriented education instead. Students may not able to find jobs in the field that they are training after graduate. Ungar argues that especially collage students find it harder to get good jobs with liberal arts degrees, which is not the case. Which is the second misperception is that graduates with liberal arts degrees
One idea that I disagree with is the idea that colleges themselves have sold their soul. William Deresiewicz tells us that it is neoliberalism and the way it impacted society pressure students to major in fields that typically provide more money. Such as business or STEM fields. In my opinion, the role of a college is to provide a higher education for those who want to pursue a certain career. Just because students prefer STEM and business fields doesn’t mean that colleges have sold their soul to the market. Many students want to major in STEM and business fields so colleges provide more classes to accommodate them. That doesn’t mean colleges have given up on liberal arts. Colleges still provide liberal arts majors and there are
Instead, Sanford J. Ungar presents the arguments that all higher education is expensive and needs to be reevaluated for Americans. He attempts to divert the argument of a liberal arts education tuition by stating “ The cost of American higher education is spiraling out id control, and liberal-arts colleges are becoming irrelevant because they are unable to register gains i productivity or to find innovative ways of doing things” (Ungar 661). The author completely ignores the aspects of paying for a liberal arts degree or even the cost comparison to a public university. Rather, Ungar leads the reader down a “slippery slope” of how public universities attain more funding and grants from the government, while liberal arts colleges are seemingly left behind. The author increasingly becomes tangent to the initial arguments he presented by explaining that students have a more interactive and personal relationship with their professors and other students. Sanford J. Ungar did not address one aspect of the cost to attend a liberal arts college or how it could be affordable for students who are not in the upper class.
In recent years, many have debated whether or not a college education is a necessary requirement to succeed in the field of a persons’ choice and become an outstanding person in society. On one hand, some say college is very important because one must contribute to society. The essay Three Reasons College Still Matters by Andrew Delbanco shows three main reasons that students should receive their bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, many question the point of wasting millions of dollars on four years or maybe more to fight for highly competitive jobs that one might not get. Louis Menand wrote an article based on education titled Re-Imagining Liberal Education. This article challenges the main thought many americans have after receiving a secondary education. Louis Menand better illustrates the reasons why a student should rethink receiving a post secondary education better than Andrew Delbanco’s three reasons to continue a person’s education.
College is a popular topic for most, and Sanford J. Ungar and Charles Murray have a unique way of explaining both their opinions. In his essay, “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar advocates that the liberal arts should be everybody’s education, regardless of the fact that most Americans are facing economic hardship. The first misconception that he begins to explain is “a liberal arts degree is a luxury that most families can no longer afford”. Career education” is what we now must focus on.”
Free college tuition, or even a completely free college education, might sound great, but on whose shoulders does the burden fall? A lot of people want free college tuition because of the constantly rising costs of going to a university, junior college, or community college. A lot of the argument advocates use is that the student debt in this country amounts to $1.2 trillion. While that is a lot of money owed, it is the price you have to pay for an invaluable privilege in the U.S. College tuition shouldn’t be free because taxpayers will need to pay more, students will take their classes less seriously, and states will need to pull money from other departments in order to make up for the lost money.
Over the past few years, people have begun to see going to college as a way to achieve the American Dream through career-readiness. People used to go to college, hoping to get a better well-rounded education. For most the well-rounded education, it usually came with the courses required for a liberal arts education. The courses would provide a level of analytical and in-depth understanding that would prepare the students for both life and whichever career path chosen. No matter the amount of money paid, parents would be willing to gi...
In Charles Murray’s essay entitled “Are Too Many People Going to College?”, he discusses the influx of Americans getting a college education. He addresses the topic of Liberal Arts education, and explains that not many people are ready for the rigorous challenges a liberal-arts degree offers. In addition, Murray explains that instead of a traditional degree more people should apply to technical schools. He believes that college should not be wide spread, and that it is only for those who can handle it. These viewpoints harshly contrast with Sanford J. Ungar’s views. Ungar believes college education should be widespread, because a liberal-arts degree is, in his opinion, a necessity. He argues that a liberal-arts college is the only place that
A college education gives a person the opportunity to be successful in life, either financially or morally dependent on the goals that they set for their life. They will choose a college that offer programs for the major of their choice, where they will specialize and receive a degree. The decision to pursue a higher education will give the opportunity to earn a better income over someone who does not have a degree. College is more of life preparation course that will help make sure a successful career. If a person pursues a career in engineering, physics or mathematics their curriculum would include more liberal art preparation courses, in order for them to earn their degree, so someone pursuing a degree in these types of careers are attending college for job preparation. On December 10, 2009 at Hamilton University in Clinton, New York, college professors debated current college curriculum (Liew). They talked about how their college could make a leap from being good to being great. At the 22nd American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges conference held in Long Beach California on November 14, 1996 the topic of changing curriculum was discussed (“Mich”). The University of Louisiana, Lafayette, is eliminating its philosophy major, while Michigan State University is doing away with American studies and classics, after years of decline in enrollments in those majors (Zernike). The purpose of a college education is to meet the student's liberal art’s needs so that they can compete and understand the connection between a degree and a job that will enable them to compete with other world economies, give them a well-rounded education that will enable them to earn a higher income, and retain a lifetime full of knowledge.
Clune’s economic argument focuses on the fear many parents and students have on pursuing interests as a degree in college. He argues that, “…that the earnings of humanities Bas were “on par with the social, behavioral, and life sciences” (Clune). Here, he addresses the fear that many people have about choosing lucrative areas of study in college. Many are worried that if they follow their interests in college they will be likely to end up poor. However, that is not the case as Clune states in this quote. This specifically, is a persuasive idea because Clune cites a specific study. The use of statistics from a reliable source strengthens his point. Yet, this point still has its problems as it does not consider each student’s own
The purpose of a high school education is to prepare one for college and ultimately, the workforce. By the end of freshman year, in high school, the average student has learned a sufficient amount of material in enough subjects , that he or she can be considered "well-rounded" in his or her studies. This is because the rate at which material is covered in schools, across the nation has increased dramatically compared to the past. Students now learn more advanced curriculum at a younger age, and this continues to become more evident year after year. High school has now become more focused on teaching students a small amount of information on several essential subjects, rather than having them focus deeply on the subjects they seek to pursue in career. Unfortunately, this shift in focus has caused the overall high school experience to stray away from its intended purpose. If students are not prepared for their career, what purpose does a high school education have? If High Schools inserted more elective course opportunities into their standard set of curriculum, it would further prepare students for the career of their choice, allow them to truly master a subject, build their confidence, and refine their talents so that they may grow and succeed their future occupations.
However, the problems stem from the fact those liberal art degrees are amorphous when it comes to predicting an exact occupation that its holder might get. For example, a student who studied any major aside from art could tell you in what field he or she will be involved in after graduating. However, the future for art majors is blurry and ambiguous because the degree they snatch out of academia does not in any way prepare them to foray in any specific style of jobs. Art majors equip you with invaluable tools that will help you think critically, and comprehend the sheer volume of information or data that might face you in any job or research setting. In other words, the fruits of art major could not be reaped from the tree of arts but rather from separate and remote tree unlike any other
Several things must occur before implementation would even be possible. First, a request would need to be made for permission to try the curriculum reform starting with the third and fourth grade classes, since these teachers are in the same building as the science lab, teach science daily in their classrooms, and are familiar with the various scientific technology, software, and materials available to them. However, it would be my recommendation to only have one of the two third grade classrooms/teachers, and one of the two fourth grade classrooms/teachers actually be the experimental group and implement the reform.
Roth, Michael S. “Why Liberal Arts Matter.” CNN. Cable News Network, 21 May 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Many people believe around the world as well as in America that a liberal arts education is a waste of time. One of the reasons they believe this is because we are in a time where technology has taken over the world. We now have many social media outlets, touch screen phones that get progressively advanced, smart cars, etc. What people seem to forget in that process is an idea that a person had became