The liberal arts include the arts and sciences - fields that introduce students to general knowledge and develop the basic intellectual skills that are needed to succeed in our society

Mach, Thomas S.

Sims, Kevin F.

English

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Cedarville UniversityDigitalCommons@CedarvilleHistory and Government Faculty Publications Department of History and GovernmentSummer 2014Learning to Lead in the Liberal ArtsThomas S. MachCedarville University, macht@cedarville.eduKevin F. SimsCedarville University, simsk@cedarville.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/history_and_government_publicationsPart of the Arts and Humanities Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the LiberalStudies CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access byDigitalCommons@Cedarville, a service of the Centennial Library. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in History and Government FacultyPublications by an authorized administrator ofDigitalCommons@Cedarville. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@cedarville.edu.Recommended CitationMach, Thomas S. and Sims, Kevin F., "Learning to Lead in the Liberal Arts" (2014). History and Government Faculty Publications. 114.http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/history_and_government_publications/11416 | Cedarville MagazineThe liberal arts include the humanities and the sciences — fields that introduce students to general knowledge and develop the basic intellectual skills that are needed to succeed in our society.Cedarville Magazine | 17CLearning to Lead in the Liberal Artsby Thomas Mach ‘88 and Kevin Sims ‘74Cedarville University began as a college to prepare young men and women for ministry. The Presbyterian founders quickly broadened the school’s focus to include a variety of vocational pursuits as well, all centered on the liberal arts and grounded in the Word of God. When the Presbyterians turned the school over to the Baptist Bible Institute in 1953, they did so on the condition that it remain a liberal arts institution. While Cedarville has grown and expanded its scope over the decades since, its programs still include a liberal arts core curriculum and integrated biblical principles.The liberal arts include the humanities and the sciences — fields that introduce students to general knowledge and develop the basic intellectual skills that are needed to succeed in our society. They were the focus of the earliest universities, long before professional training developed, because of their universal applicability. The liberal arts core courses and major programs enable students to develop skills in communication, information management, problem-solving, and integrating biblical principles with learning. Employment data suggest that today’s graduates will change career paths four to six times in their lives. Cedarville is committed to equipping all of our graduates with the skills needed to make those transitions. Equally important, while we seek to prepare our graduates for success in making a living, we also want to equip them for a life of critical thinking. Repeatedly, Scripture admonishes us to test what we see in the world against the Word of God. A Cedarville education is infused with the liberal arts to encourage students to develop the analytical skills required to discern truth and respond to error. These skills have application as Christians in our private lives, as members in our churches, and as citizens in our society. Well Prepared Cedarville’s faculty members believe in the value of the liberal arts. We want our graduates to be educated individuals, not just trained employees. We recognize that in this economically challenging environment, being well prepared for the workforce is essential. Too often, however, prospective students and their parents believe the myth that only professional and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs prepare graduates for careers. Even more, some think that the path to leadership influence for Christ lies in those same fields. U.S. Census data, a survey by Georgetown University, and a joint study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, however, suggest that this is simply not 18 | Cedarville Magazineaccurate. While the professional programs are a vital part of the economic landscape, and Cedarville provides excellent majors in those areas, liberal arts graduates are highly sought by employers, make as much if not more over the long term as STEM graduates, and develop the skill base essential for effective leadership.Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that liberal arts majors are competing quite well in the marketplace. A recent report by the American Association of American Colleges and Universities and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems study noted that unemployment rates for recent liberal arts graduates was 5.2% compared with 6.7% unemployment in the overall economy. More and more employers are looking to the liberal arts for quality employees. The famous debate between Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs demonstrated that there are differences of opinion, but recent data is starting to tip the scale in favor of Jobs’ point of view. While Gates argued for focusing education in the technical fields, Jobs noted that he purposefully hired humanities graduates because they provided the creative input necessary for Apple to produce innovative new products. Google reports a similar predilection for these graduates — of the approximately 6,000 the company hires each year, around 4,800 come from the liberal arts. Finally, a recent study commissioned by the Association of Colleges and Universities found that 70 percent of employers want colleges to place more emphasis on the skill set developed in the humanities curriculum, an important part of any career preparation.Highlighting the importance of the liberal arts to employers, a new study by the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that while average starting salaries in the professional fields still outpace those in the liberal arts, starting pay for such graduates is on the rise. Of equal significance, a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted that over the long term humanities and social science graduates tend to outearn professional graduates, especially if they go on to earn graduate degrees.  Well RoundedThe importance of the liberal arts is only underscored when considering the process of preparing the next generation for leadership. At Cedarville, preparing young Christians for leadership positions is central to our mission. A cursory Google search reveals a spate of articles highlighting the key skills leaders need, including many engendered by the liberal arts. These skills include critical thinking, creativity, communication, and decision-making. A recent study by Grinnell College professor Mark Peltz found that leaders in government, business, and nonprofit organizations were five times more likely to come from colleges offering humanities and science-based programs than their graduation demographics would predict. With the moral decline of American society at all levels, how much more appealing will Cedarville’s graduates be, equipped with their liberal arts background, when they can bring biblical ethics to the workplace.Every Cedarville program includes a general education curriculum based in the liberal arts. In addition to the required core, students can choose from a variety of liberal arts programs. Recognizing the reawakening of employers to the benefits of liberally trained graduates, Cedarville has recently introduced a liberal arts major. This challenging, interdisciplinary major offers students the opportunity to study courses in math, science, history, political science, English, literature, music, art, theatre, philosophy, and Bible. Students can then select a concentration area for focused study. The program includes a travel-study experience that enables students to participate in a cultural Cedarville’s faculty members believe in the value of the liberal arts. We want our graduates to be educated individuals, not just trained employees.Cedarville Magazine | 19and academic experience outside of the United States. It supplements the required Bible minor and produces graduates who are capable of incorporating a liberal arts education into the qualities of effective communication, critical thinking, and decision-making. The student’s further ability to integrate a Christian worldview into his or her education produces an outstanding leadership prospect in career fields that include premed studies; graduate studies in business, theology, and law; and traditional liberal arts territory such as theatre, music performance, and research in history, literature, and the sciences.Well EducatedThe University has long provided top students with the opportunity for advanced liberal arts study through the Honors Program. Honors students take a 10-credit-hour freshman course sequence titled “The Making of the Modern Mind.” This interdisciplinary sequence is taught by professors from various fields and examines the development of events and ideas in history, philosophy, theology, and the arts over the course of human history. The program includes innovative seminars for upperclass honors students and an integrative capstone course sequence. Recognizing the talents of these students, the Honors Program seeks to develop their skills for future leadership roles in both the Church and society. While these two programs are uniquely focused on the liberal arts, they are only two of the more obvious manifestations of Cedarville’s commitment to such traditional fields. We believe they are essential to producing well-educated Christians who can impact the world for Christ. While many schools recognize the importance of the liberal arts, Cedarville is distinctive in its belief that the inerrant Word of God provides the necessary parameters for learning in the liberal arts.  Contrary to the secular understanding of the humanities where all ideas are equal and all perspectives valuable, the Bible provides the essential guidelines for discerning truth from error.  With that foundation, Cedarville’s liberal arts curriculum provides students with beneficial preparation for vocation, leadership, and life.Thomas Mach ’88 chairs the Cedarville University Department of History and Government. He is a Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program. He received his M.A. from Cleveland State University and his Ph.D. from The University of Akron.Kevin Sims ’74 is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Liberal Arts Program at Cedarville University. He received his M.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and his Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University.RAISEDCHALLENGE CONQUERED!Alumni, friends, parents, and faculty and staff members  joined forces on May 15 and  rose to the challenge!• Nearly 700 alumni and friends gave.• We raised more than $129K, including challenge gifts.• The Cedarville family came together and showed that we are Jackets, and we want to make sure that a Cedarville education is affordable for future students.We are so excited that we hit our goal! It’s not too late to get involved and help students.Give your gift at: cedarville.edu/515challenge

Learning to Lead in the Liberal Arts

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Learning to Lead in the Liberal Arts

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