Higher education has been under intense scrutiny lately. To the question of “Is a liberal arts education valuable in the 21st century?” Dean David Powers gives an emphatic “YES.”

    
Dean Powers from Altrac Productions on Vimeo.

On September 12, 2012, Dean Powers presented “The Value of Liberal Arts Education in the 21st Century” to a group of faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Sciences. Below is a brief excerpt from his presentation. Click here to read the full text.

"The American Association of Colleges and Universities conducted a nationwide survey of many different stakeholders in American education, including a subsample of employers. Part of that survey specifically gauged employer interest in liberal education learning outcomes. Here are some of the findings:

• 75%  of employers wanted more  emphasis on ethical decision making
• 81% of employers wanted more emphasis on critical thinking and analytic reasoning
• 89% of employers wanted more emphasis on written and oral communication.

It is important to make this point right now, and make it loudly and publicly, because conventional wisdom can overwhelm facts and data. It is clear that employers do value what we provide, very much, to the point of wanting more of it. … We need to make sure students, prospective students, parents and all the members of our communities and constituencies understand that."

Alumni Voices on the Value of a Liberal Arts Education

We have seen time and again the importance of a liberal arts education through the stories of our distinguished Arts and Sciences alumni. Read testimonials of how a liberal arts education has benefited our graduates and our community. 

Share your story! Contact Laura Paskin at 206.296.2814.

Services to Support Students

The Academic Advising Support Center (AASC) is a centralized advising office that provides academic advising and educational assistance to undergraduate and graduate students in College of Arts and Sciences. It is staffed by professional academic advisors who are available on a drop-in basis and for scheduled appointments. Learn More. 

Career Services is available to help students and alumni make connections between their academic discipline and the world of work. They offer one-on-one career advising, career assessments, workshops, internship/job postings, employer information sessions, on-campus interviews and career fairs. To find out more, visit the Career Services website. 

Scholarly Excellence at Seattle University

Go behind the scenes with some of Seattle U's most acclaimed faculty members in our Scholarly Excellence videos. Footage was taken during photo shoots for an academic research brochure and a special academic excellence edition of our alumni magazine. All videos by Eric Becker.

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