Liberal arts education

Abstract: Introduction Despite efforts to discover the foundations of design thinking in the fine arts, the natural sciences, or most recently, the social sciences, design eludes reduction and remains a surprisingly flexible activity. No single definition of design, or branches of professionalized practice such as industrial or graphic design, adequately covers the diversity of ideas and methods gathered together under the label. Indeed, the variety of research reported in conference papers, journal articles, and books suggests that design continues to expand in its meanings and connections, revealing unexpected dimensions in practice as well as understanding. This follows the trend of design thinking in the twentieth century, for we have seen design grow from a trade activity to a segmentedprofession to afield for technical research and to what now should be recognized as a new liberal art of technological culture. It may seem unusual to talk about design as a liberal art, particularly when many people are accustomed to identifying the liberal arts with the traditional "arts and sciences" that are institutionalized in colleges and universities. But the liberal arts are undergoing a revolutionary transformation in twentieth-century culture, and design is one of the areas in which this transformation is strikingly evident. To understand the change that is now underway, it is important to recognize that what are commonly regarded as the liberal arts today are not outside of history. They originated in the Renaissance and underwent prolonged development that culminated in the nineteenth century as a vision of an encyclopedic education of beaux arts, belles lettres, history, various natural sciences and mathematics, philosophy, and the fledgling social sciences. This circle of learning was divided into particular subject matters, each with a proper method or set of methods suitable to its exploration. At their peak as liberal arts, these subject matters provided an integrated understanding of human experience and the array of available knowledge. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, existing subjects were explored with progressively more refined methods, and new subjects were added to accord with advances in knowledge. As a This essay is based on a paper presented at 'Colloque Recherches sur le Design: Incitations, Implications, Interactions," the first French university symposium on design research held October 1990 at l'Universit6 de Technologie de Compiegne, Compiegne, France.

Abstract: Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter, by George D. Kuh, Jillian Kinzie, John H. Schuh, Elizabeth J. Whitt, and Associates. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005. ISBN 0787982202. Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter by George D. Kuh, Jillian Kinzie, John H. Schuh, Elizabeth J. Whitt, and associates addresses the long-standing issue of the utility of theory and research to professional practice. They address this important issue by asking what properties and conditions are common to those colleges and universities that achieve higher than predicted levels of student engagement and graduation. Put differently, the documentation of effective educational practice constituted the aim of their research project. Accordingly, they named this Project DEEP (Documenting Effective Educational Practices). Through the pursuit of this question and the effective educational practices it richly documents, this book makes an important contribution to practice and clearly demonstrates the usefulness of research to practice. For the community of scholars organized around the study of higher education, the contribution of this volume lies in its heuristic value to theory development and further research. This yolume consists of four parts and 14 chapters. Part 1 includes an introductory chapter that describes the methodology used to identify a set of higher performing baccalaureate-granting institutions. From this set of collegiate institutions, the Project DEEP team selected a diverse set of 20 colleges and universities: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and residential and commuter institutions. Kuh and his colleagues assert that effective educational practices can be found at a wide variety of colleges and universities. The DEEP research team conducted two visits to the campuses of the 20 selected colleges and universities, during which they reviewed documents, visited classrooms and laboratories, observed faculty and staff meetings, and talked with more than 2,700 people. Appendix A of the volume describes in greater detail the research methods used. Through the campus visits and review of pertinent documents, the DEEP research team identified six properties and conditions common at each of the 20 colleges and universities. Part 2 of this volume includes six chapters (chapters 2 through 7), each of which is devoted to one of the six attributes that foster student success. These six chapters extensively describe the focal properties and conditions used by DEEP colleges and universities. Such extensive descriptions facilitate their application by other colleges and universities. The following titles of these six properties and conditions give a general sense of their essence: "Living Mission and 'Lived' Educational Philosophy," "An Unshakable Focus on Student Learning," "Environments Adapted for Educational Enrichment," "Clear Pathways to Student Success," "An Improvement-Oriented Ethos," and "Shared Responsibility for Educational Quality and Student Success." Higher education practitioners will find the contents of these six chapters immensely valuable to practice. Part 3 of this volume consists of five chapters, a chapter devoted to each of the five clusters of effective educational practices that the DEEP team used to identify the 20 overperforming colleges and universities: academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environments. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) encompasses each of these five clusters. These five chapters describe the policies and practices of the DEEP colleges and universities reflective of the focal cluster of educational practice. Higher education practitioners will also find the polices and practices described in each of these five chapters useful and worthy of possible implementation by their college or university. …

Abstract: Kuh, George D., Kinzie, Jillian, Schuh, John H., Whitt, Elizabeth J., and Associates, 2010. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. $30.00 ISBN: 978-0-470-59909-9Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter offers a closer look into the U.S. system of higher education, seeking to answer the following question: What policies, programs, and practices promote student success? The authors embark on this journey examining a group of 20 four-year colleges and universities (e.g. schools included eight private and 12 public institutions representing 17 different states, with populations ranging from 682 to 23,063 students) that have fostered educational environments where engagement and success have transformed the experiences of enrolled students. For the purpose of this review, we organize our thoughts in the following two sections:Promoting Student SuccessThe book thoroughly describes necessary conditions for student success and provides guidance for how institutions can create those environments. The authors reiterate throughout that the policies and programs described in the book are not unique to these institutions. What sets these 20 institutions apart is that when they design and implement policies and programs, they take serious consideration of their environment (e.g., campus location, setting, student demographics, traditions, history) and make sure that decisions taken align with the mission and vision of the institution. For example, the authors describe in detail how the University of Kansas begins stressing the importance of success to freshmen students during "Hawk Week." This weeklong schedule of activities at the beginning of the year teaches incoming students the traditions on campus, and encourages them to become part of those traditions, hence encouraging student success by creating a strong campus community.The authors argue that these schools work to offer opportunities that are tailored to their students, creating a meaningful learning experience centered on engaged and involved students. Among several examples, the authors describe how Evergreen State College (small public liberal arts college) provides affordable childcare to accommodate a large number of students who have dependents. They illustrate how Manchester College (a small private liberal arts college), a school located in a large urban area, has designed its campus around creating an intimate community atmosphere with the use of small buildings and classrooms. They also highlight how Alverno College (a private women's college) connects nursing students with the local Hmong community in Milwaukee, providing crosscultural experiences right at home.Within each of the sections and chapters, the authors achieve a conversational tone that incorporates these rich specific examples, includes commentary by faculty and staff, and provides detailed accounts of how and why the work of these institutions is worth replicating. This approach makes the book personable and provides an encouraging message to schools looking to improve student engagement, satisfaction, and personal development.Lessons Learned:Working with International StudentsA feature defining these schools is that they continuously attempt to develop a campus that offers opportunities for all students to enhance their educational experience. Thus, a question that must be asked is how institutions fulfill the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, especially one that represents a myriad of backgrounds and characteristics? In 2011, the number of international students increased to 723,277 in the United States. As a group, it is argued that international students can bring diverse global perspectives to the classroom, provide a renewed perspective on global education, and open a valuable window for cross-cultural interaction with local students. While these and many other educational benefits are associated with the presence of international students on campus, it is important to remember that international students also confront adjustment challenges (e. …

Abstract: Preface v The Authors xv 1. Background: Evolving Priorities and Expectations of the Community College 1 2. Students: Diverse Backgrounds and Purposes 45 3. Faculty: Building a Professional Identity 79 4. Organization, Governance, and Administration: Managing the Contemporary College 109 5. Finances: Generating, Sustaining, and Allocating Resources 151 6. Instruction: Methods, Media, and Effects 177 7. Student Services: Supporting Educational Objectives 209 8. Developmental Education: Enhancing Literacy and Basic Skills 235 9. Liberal Arts and Transfer Education: Preparation for the University 265 10. Integrative Education: Modifying General Education 289 11. Occupational Education: Growth and Change in Workforce Preparation 303 12. Community Education: Extending College Services and Training 333 13. Scholarship and Commentary: Perspectives of the Community College 359 14. Student Progress and Outcomes: A New Age of Accountability 391 15. Toward the Future: Trends, Challenges, and Obligations 435 Appendix: For-Profit Institutions 471 References 487 Name Index 541 Subject Index 549