Liberal arts at the brink / Victor E. Ferrall, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ferrall, Victor E., 1936-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Education, Humanistic--United States.

Education, Humanistic.

Small colleges--United States.

Small colleges.

United States--Intellectual life.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 288 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. ; London : Harvard University Press, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Liberal arts colleges represent a tiny portion of the higher education market-no more than 2 percent of enrollees. Yet they produce a stunningly large percentage of America's leaders in virtually every field of endeavor. The educational experience they offer-small classes led by professors devoted to teaching and mentoring, in a community dedicated to learning-has been a uniquely American higher education ideal.Liberal Arts at the Brink is a wake-up call for everyone who values liberal arts education. A former college president trained in law and economics, Ferrall shows how a spiraling demand for career-related education has pressured liberal arts colleges to become vocational, distorting their mission and core values. The relentless competition among them to attract the "best" students has driven down tuition revenues while driving up operating expenses to levels the colleges cannot cover. The weakest are being forced to sell out to vocational for-profit universities or close their doors. The handful of wealthy elite colleges risk becoming mere dispensers of employment and professional school credentials. The rest face the prospect of moving away from liberal arts and toward vocational education in order to survive. Writing in a personable, witty style, Ferrall tackles the host of threats and challenges liberal arts colleges now confront. Despite these daunting realities, he makes a spirited case for the unique benefits of the education they offer-to students and the nation. He urges liberal arts colleges to stop going it alone and instead band together to promote their mission and ensure their future.

Contents:

Liberal arts colleges and why we should care about them

The economic health of liberal arts colleges

The declining demand for liberal arts education

Competing

Cooperating

Recruiting

Liberal arts teachers: a profile

Employing and deploying faculty for teaching excellence

Tenure

Curriculums

At the brink.

Notes:

Formerly CIP.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780674263390

0674263391

9780674060883

0674060881

OCLC:

742367091