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Making the Case for
Liberal Arts Colleges
Study finds positive impact on graduates’ life experiences, including
leadership, civic-mindedness … and financial success.
By Scott Jaschik
January 9, 2017
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Talk to presidents of liberal arts colleges and they
are proud of how their institutions educate graduates and prepare them
for life. But ask the presidents to prove that value, and many get a
little less certain. Some cite surveys of alumni satisfaction or
employment. Others point to famous alumni.
And, privately, many liberal arts college presidents admit that their
arguments haven’t been cutting it of late with prospective students and
their parents (not to mention politicians), who are more likely to be
swayed by the latest data on first-year salaries of graduates, surveys
that seem to suggest that engineering majors will find success and
humanities graduates will end up as baristas.
Richard A. Detweiler believes he has evidence -- quantifiable evidence
-- that attending a liberal arts college is likely to yield numerous
positive results in graduates' lifetimes, including but not limited to
career and financial success. He has been giving previews of his
findings for the last year. On Friday, at a gathering here of
presidents of the Council of Independent Colleges, he presented details
and said he believes the results have the potential to change the
conversation about liberal arts colleges. He said his findings show
that the key characteristics of liberal arts colleges -- in and out of
the classroom -- do matter.
At the meeting, Detweiler described his project. He started by
examining the mission statements of 238 liberal arts colleges, looking
at what the colleges say they are trying to accomplish with regard to
their students. Among the common goals given for graduates were to
produce people who would continue to learn throughout their lives, make
thoughtful life choices, be leaders, be professionally successful and
be committed to understanding cultural life.
Then Detweiler and colleagues conducted interviews with 1,000 college
graduates -- about half from liberal arts colleges and half from other
institutions. The graduates were not asked about the value of their
alma maters or of liberal arts education, but were asked a series of
very specific questions about their experiences in college and then
their experiences later in life. The graduates were a mix of those 10
to 40 years after graduation, and conclusions were drawn on liberal
arts graduates vs. other graduates only when there was statistical
significance for both relatively recent and older alumni. Some of the
findings may be relevant to liberal arts disciplines at institutions
other than liberal arts colleges, but the comparison point was for
those who attended the colleges.
What Detweiler found was that graduates who reported key college
experiences associated with liberal arts colleges had greater odds of
measures of life success associated with the goals of liberal arts
colleges. Here are some of the findings:
Graduates who reported that in college they talked with faculty members
about nonacademic and academic subjects outside class were 25 to 45
percent more likely (depending on other factors) to have become leaders
in their localities or professions. Those who reported discussions on
issues such as peace, justice and human rights with fellow students
outside class were 27 to 52 percent more likely to become leaders.
Graduates who reported that students took a large role in class
discussions were 27 to 38 percent more likely to report characteristics
of lifelong learners than others were. Students who reported most of
their classwork was professionally oriented were less likely to become
lifelong learners.
Graduates who reported that as students they discussed philosophical or
ethical issues in many classes, and who took many classes in the
humanities, were 25 to 60 percent more likely than others to have
characteristics of altruists (volunteer involvement, giving to
nonprofit groups, etc.).
Graduates who reported that as students most professors knew their
first names, and that they talked regularly with faculty members about
academic subjects outside class, were 32 to 90 percent more likely to
report that they felt personally fulfilled in their lives. Those who
reported that professors encouraged them to examine the strengths and
weaknesses of one's views, and whose course work emphasized questions
on which there is not necessarily a correct answer, were 25 to 40
percent more likely to report that they felt personally fulfilled.
But What About Money?
Detweiler saved for last the characteristic that gets so much attention
these days, and that liberal arts college leaders fear hurts them:
money. He noted that his research does back the common belief that
liberal arts graduates earn less than others, but only for the first
few years after graduation.
He said that his study shows a high relationship between a broad
undergraduate education and financial success. Those who take more than
half of their course work in subjects unrelated to their majors (a
characteristics of liberal arts colleges but not professionally
oriented colleges) are 31 to 72 percent more likely than others to have
higher-level positions and to be earning more than $100,000 than are
others.
Detweiler said that his study not only suggests that the liberal arts
college experience prepares students for a life well lived, but for a
life of financial success.
Preserving the Right Qualities
While Detweiler said that his data (which he hopes to turn into a book)
should bolster the case for liberal arts colleges, he also said that
these institutions should not rest on their laurels.
He said that he worries when he hears about colleges trying to
eliminate their smallest courses or increase the average size of
sections when his findings show so much positive impact from close
relationships between students and faculty members.
Further, he said that the findings show why it's important for liberal
arts colleges to think more than perhaps some do about what happens
outside of class. And Detweiler said that too many colleges are engaged
in "a facilities arms race" rather than thinking about the student
experience.
Finally, he said that the challenge for liberal arts colleges is to
start changing the way people talk about their institutions. "How do we
communicate to others how and why this approach actually matters?" he
asked.
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