01/30 Athenaeum at 1pm - What Do We Mean By "Liberal Arts"? by Dean Ralph Townsend

Please join us for our first Library Athenaeum of the spring 2013 semester.  Ralph Townsend, the WSU Dean of the College of Liberal Arts will present on the topic of What Do We Mean By "Liberal Arts"?

There are widely divergent concepts of what a “liberal arts” degree should mean, and, in particular, how a liberal arts degree should be structured in the first two years of education. (Note that the broad concept of "liberal arts", which includes the sciences and math, is implied here.) For WSU, the general education requirements for liberal arts majors are exactly the same as any other major. By comparison, private liberal arts colleges often have much elaborate distribution requirements and the expectations on writing are notably greater. This presentation discusses the nature of the differences in the definition of “liberal arts” and what are some of the drivers of these differences. It also discusses the question of whether WSU can or should aspire to a different definition of “liberal arts education.”

The Library Athenaeum is located on the second floor of the Krueger Library, bluff side.  For more information about the spring 2013 schedule, please visit our website: http://www.winona.edu/library/athenaeum/