Liberal arts at the brink [electronic resource] / Victor E. Ferrall, Jr.
2011
LC1011 .F47 2011eb
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Title
Liberal arts at the brink [electronic resource] / Victor E. Ferrall, Jr.
Author
Ferrall, Victor E., 1936-
ISBN
9780674060883 electronic book
9780674049727
9780674049727
Publication Details
Cambridge, Mass. ; London : Harvard University Press, 2011.
Language
English
Description
1 online resource (xii, 288 p.) : ill.
Call Number
LC1011 .F47 2011eb
Dewey Decimal Classification
370.11/2
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 0best0 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.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
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Access limited to authorized users.
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Description based on print version record.
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Liberal arts at the brink.
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Table of 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.
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.