Abstract
American liberal arts universities provide an undergraduate education designed to equip students for responsible global civic engagement; humanities disciplines are foundational to this approach, providing methodology, pedagogy, and models of cross-disciplinary inquiry. We offer a case study of the status of humanities programs at one such institution. In an effort to provide an exemplar for scholars at institutions facing similar challenges, we describe our experiences as faculty facilitators of a review of humanities programs. Initiated by university administrators, the review served dual purposes: to meet institutional accreditation requirements and to benefit from data collection and reflection. Our process involved writing an initial report synthesizing faculty perspectives, a site visit by an outside consultant who provided a written report, and a series of meetings for faculty and administrators to identify future initiatives and actions. This paper outlines our methods for gathering data and reflects on and offers suggestions about themes regarding the future of humanities education that emerged during the process. These themes include articulating the value of the humanities; perceptions of the humanities as impractical; collaborations with other disciplines like the sciences, technology, and business; scarcity of financial resources; administrative viewpoints; disciplinary differences; and ongoing challenges of student recruitment at a time when many Americans question the value of the humanities. This study explores how faculty and administrators at a liberal arts institution collaborate to envision new directions for the humanities, stimulating a conversation about how to review humanities programs to assess their value and effectiveness.
Presenters
Karla KnutsonProfessor of English, Department of English, Concordia College, Minnesota, United States Gay Rawson
Professor / Chair, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Concordia College, Minnesota, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Future, Program Review, Liberal Arts
