A longitudinal view of the liberal arts curriculum a decade after merger : a multiple case study of community colleges in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Louisiana.

TLDR: This paper examined faculty work life and administrative processes related to curriculum change in merged community and technical colleges and found that the focus on workforce development and decrease in the transfer mission has diminished the liberal arts courses in the college curriculum.

Abstract: This study is an examination of the state of the liberal arts curriculum in community colleges in three geographic regions of the United States. From a constructivist paradigm and using globalization theory as a theoretical framework, this multiple case study examined faculty work life and administrative processes related to curriculum change in merged community and technical colleges. Through an examination of research on globalization, mergers, and trends in the general education and liberal arts curriculum, a gap in the literature emerged in the studies of community college curriculums after merger. This study considers whether the focus on workforce development and decrease in the transfer mission has diminished the liberal arts courses in the college curriculum. Research on liberal arts courses identified them as courses that emphasize higher order thinking and the development of intellectual skills needed to engage in a democratic society. If students are not exposed to these skills, it may have a d...

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Table 1: Ratings of Expected Utility for Each Theme ___________ )83