AtLAS | The Voice of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Fall 2011

Message from the Dean

Astrida Orle Tantillo. Photo by Kathryn Marchetti

In the last several months, I have had many opportunities to speak with our alumni. I frequently ask them how they believe they have benefitted from their education at UIC. A definite pattern has emerged in these conversations: our alumni tell me how much has changed in the “real world” since they have left college and how much their particular majors, as well as their overall background in the liberal arts, have benefitted them. Whether leaders in banking, health care or insurance, our alums have told me that the writing and analytical skills honed in major and general coursework have contributed to their success. One business leader told me that literary novels taught her about empathy and human character—lessons that she believes have helped her to be a better boss to her employees and a better negotiator during business deals. Our younger alumni tell me of a frequently changing work climate and how their background in the liberal arts has helped them flourish because they quickly adapt to changing workplace demands.

What college students should be studying and how they should attain their knowledge is an American debate that came to public consciousness during the culture wars of the 1980s and continues today. In the 1980s, many of the battles were about whether a canon of literature should exist and the degree to which liberal education should be expanded to new fields. And while those debates are ongoing, new debates are also emerging—debates that focus upon business models, assessable knowledge, and public-private ventures.

In the 1980s, the questions focused upon what should comprise a liberal education. Surprisingly, today, one is frequently called upon to defend a broad-based, interdisciplinary core education itself. Many believe that universities should focus more upon practical skill-set training in particular fields and spend less time on liberal education, broadly understood.

In fact, twenty-first century realities demand the skills that a liberal education provides. Increasingly throughout their working life, people are not simply changing jobs, but changing careers. Anecdotal reports cite the U.S. Department of Labor tracking three to five career changes for individuals—before the age of forty. In our current economy, growing numbers of mid-life and older workers are exploring new career paths, whether by choice or necessity. Constantly shifting challenges and opportunities require a citizenry that is flexible, adaptable and creative. Limiting training to particular skills may in the end limit students’ possibilities more so than educating them broadly. Undergraduate education should have many more goals than creating employment opportunities.

Ideally, a liberal education instills a life-long desire to expand one’s horizons and to learn about the world, people and cultures different than oneself, and even how to analyze one’s own preconceptions.

As the stories in this issue of AtLAS attest, an expansive liberal education contributes in a myriad of ways. From faculty focusing attention on food politics and policies or employment and business practices, to young alumni committed to increasing global communication and economic opportunities, a locus in the liberal arts and sciences not only serves to increase knowledge, but to engage the world.

At LAS, we offer demanding educational programs that produce students who have the skills to flourish in the face of change. We pride ourselves in graduates who are leaders who can change the world. When we produce that, we have done our job. As alumnus and Project FOCUS co-founder Harish Patel notes in this issue, “the whole notion is that if you have a liberal arts education, you can do anything afterward.”

Sincerely,

Astrida Orle Tantillo, PhD