Critical Factors Affecting the Impact of Liberal Arts Colleges
Wednesday, March 14
Charles Blaich, Director of Inquiries, Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts, Wabash College
(co-sponsors: Office of the President, ARP, IRP)
Most of us teaching at liberal arts colleges are convinced of the value of our model of undergraduate education, yet we have surprisingly little systematic evidence to back up that conviction. The Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts was established with a grant from the Lilly Foundation to “explore, test, and promote liberal arts education.”
Under Charlie Blaich’s leadership, the Center has undertaken a number of national studies, one example of which is discussed in the article “Do Liberal Arts Colleges Really Foster Good Practices in Liberal Arts Education?” (Journal of College Student Development, Vol. 45, No. 1, Jan/Feb 2004). In 2006, the Center initiated the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, which involves 19 institutions and “focuses on the development of seven outcomes associated with undergraduate liberal arts education and the educational conditions and experiences that foster these outcomes.”
Please join us for a stimulating conversation on these themes.
