A tension exists on college and university campuses across America today concerning how to pursue liberal, rational, open learning and, at the same time, celebrate a spirit of academic community--in short, how to exercise free expression and maintain civility. In this article, the author begins with an exploration of the boundaries of free speech,…

There exists a plethora of writings about citizenship, or "civic virtue," in a democracy. Articles, books, reports, and commentaries proliferate, and the theme is continually stressed in the multiple activities of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). In this article, the author believes that a summary of the…

Each generation of students inevitably must confront anew the fundamental questions of meaning and value that have vexed human beings down through the ages. As students have struggled with these "Big Questions," individually and collectively, liberal education has traditionally sought to provide them with a variety of cultural and historical…

According to a study of student religiosity conducted by the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), 80 percent of students express a strong interest in spirituality. They are not only spiritual, but they are also religious. Over half of all students attend religious services at least once per month. Indeed, according to the UCLA study, eight…

Technology has altered the nature of politics and the understanding of citizenship in some fundamental ways, including the balance of knowledge and power. It is time to accept technology as part of the historical condition and to humanize it. (Author/MSE)

"Ivy-clad towers" in academia still exist today and always, they require their students to spend considerable time in community service to learn about social justice. The poor almost seem to exist so that academics can study them or so that university students can elevate their own consciousness by serving them for a short period. As…

The American concept of religion as privileged and private acknowledges that religion can be culturally significant but suppresses informed public discourse about it. The issue of religion polarizes American education, and its study is skewed at all levels of learning. Religion should be taught as a subject, not a method. (MSE)

Skills and values other than the formal curriculum's content are implicitly taught through the traditional approach to the liberal arts, and some of these may foster development of qualities that are dysfunctional in our society. (MSE)

Current social, racial, and economic conditions in the United States are viewed as creating opportunities to undermine democratic values. A historical consciousness that acknowledges different interpretations of the past is seen as a prerequisite for maintenance of democracy. (MSE)

"Intellectual community" as commonly used is based on a notion of intellectual commonality. However, the liberal arts college has become more diverse. Until higher education can offer some models for combining the values of diversity, it ought not to promote the conventional ideal of intellectual community, which favors some values over…

Offers a general rationale for the stubborn conservatism of the liberal arts faculties based on the idea that the true function of a liberal arts college is not to equip students for success in life, as measured by the dominant values of our society, but to move them to challenge those values. (Editor/JT)

Various social values make up the American character, including the "curse of individualism," which has influenced a cultural shift and confusion for business, government, and educational leaders. A need to redress overcentralization is manifesting itself in demands for greater citizen participation in decision making. (LBH)

A review of college courses on the philanthropic tradition includes descriptions of programs at Babson College, Chapman College, the City University of New York's Bernard Baruch College, Georgetown University, Illinois State University, Northwestern University, Regis College, and Seton Hall University. (MSE)