All articles tagged with #liberal arts
Eleven-year-old Athena Elling will graduate from Irvine Valley College with an associate degree in liberal arts, becoming the youngest to do so and breaking her brother's record. Inspired by her brother, Athena pursued various courses and plans to complete a second associate degree at the college.
In an opinion column addressed to the Birmingham-Southern College Class of 2024, Pulitzer Prize winner Kyle Whitmire reflects on the closure of the college, attributing it to a combination of factors including the declining popularity of liberal arts education and past administrative missteps. He urges the students not to lose hope and emphasizes the importance of remembering the college's impact and values. Whitmire encourages them to carry forward the mission of being "freedom fighters" and to sit with the pain of the loss, using it as a motivator for the future.
A recent New York Federal Reserve study reveals that engineering degrees occupy nine of the top 16 college majors with the highest incomes five years after graduation, with computer engineering majors ranking first with an annual median salary of $80,000. On the other hand, liberal arts, performing arts, and theology majors earn the lowest salaries within five years of graduating from college, with a median annual income of $38,000. The study highlights the disparity in earnings between different majors and the factors contributing to it, such as demand, skills, and job market dynamics.
The value of a liberal arts degree is being questioned as public officials and universities prioritize funding for programs in engineering and business over humanities majors. Universities like West Virginia University and Miami University are cutting programs in areas such as languages, landscape architecture, and the arts. Critics argue that liberal arts graduates learn less and are less likely to stay in their state, while defenders emphasize the importance of a well-rounded education that prepares students for career reinvention. The debate highlights the tension between practical skills and the broader benefits of a liberal arts education.
Liberal arts is the most common undergraduate degree awarded in New York, with graduates earning a median income of $30,051 three years after graduation, according to a recent list compiled by Stacker using data from the US Department of Education. Business administration, management and operations came in second, with registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing in third place. The list ranks degrees by the average number of students graduating from a particular program in the 2017 and 2018 school years.
The graduation ceremony at New College of Florida was marked by controversy as Dr. Scott Atlas, a controversial radiologist who served as a COVID-19 adviser to both DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, spoke for 16 minutes, relitigating the public debates that raged over his policy advice. The crowd interrupted him at several intervals with cries of “Stop making it about you” and “Murderer” as he defended his role in the White House. Students and parents stood and turned their backs to the stage, until chants of “Wrap it up” overwhelmed Atlas, causing him to pause.
Graduates of New College of Florida held an "alternative commencement" at an art gallery in Sarasota, defying the state officials who are altering the character of their school. The event was a prelude to Friday's official graduation on campus, where a new group of leaders put in place by Gov. Ron DeSantis is working to turn the liberal arts school into one with a more "classical" bent. The changes have come on top of other setbacks that have weighed heavily on this class, which has lived through three of the most tumultuous years in New College history.
Several philosophy departments are offering "ethics certificates" and other ethics programs to address increasing enrollments, demonstrate the practical value of philosophical study to students, employers, and administrators, and provide curricular offerings that facilitate students taking several philosophy courses in a purposeful way without having to commit to majoring in it. These programs include Millersville University's "Ethics and Society" certificate program, Temple University Philosophy's ethics certificate program, and the University of New Hampshire's three-course "cognates" in either "Business, Innovation, and Technology" or "Political and Legal Philosophy."
Birmingham-Southern College will remain open for the fall 2023 semester after the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to keep the private liberal arts college open while the school works to get back on solid financial footing. The decision came after months of making their case to state and local legislators for taxpayer support. Enrollment, which has typically hovered above 1,000, fell to 975 last fall. Officials projected a rise in freshman applicants this year, but it is unclear how many students have committed for the fall 2023 semester.