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Richard A. Detweiler
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The Evidence Liberal Arts Needs: Lives of Consequence, Inquiry, and Accomplishment Kindle Edition

by Richard A. Detweiler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
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Empirical evidence for the value of a liberal arts education: how and why it has a lasting impact on success, leadership, altruism, learning, and fulfillment.

In ongoing debates over the value of a college education, the role of the liberal arts in higher education has been blamed by some for making college expensive, impractical, and even worthless. Defenders argue that liberal arts education makes society innovative, creative, and civic-minded. But these qualities are hard to quantify, and many critics of higher education call for courses of study to be strictly job-specific. In this groundbreaking book, Richard Detweiler, drawing on interviews with more than 1,000 college graduates aged 25 to 65, offers empirical evidence for the value of a liberal arts education. Detweiler finds that a liberal arts education has a lasting impact on success, leadership, altruism, learning, and fulfillment over a lifetime. 
  Unlike other defenders of a liberal arts education, Detweiler doesn’t rely on philosophical arguments or anecdotes but on data. He developed a series of interview questions related to the content attributes of liberal arts (for example, course assignments and majors), the context attributes (out-of-class interaction with faculty and students, teaching methods, campus life), and the purpose attributes (adult life outcomes). Interview responses show that although both the content of study and the educational context are associated with significant life outcomes, the content of study has less relationship to positive adult life outcomes than the educational context. The implications of this research, Detweiler points out, range from the advantages of broadening areas of study to factors that could influence students’ decisions to attend certain colleges.
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  1. Print length
    289 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    The MIT Press
  4. Publication date
    November 2, 2021
  5. File size
    18797 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] superb source for those wanting a clear explanation of the value of the liberal arts.”  –Forbes, "The Best Higher Education Books of 2021"

Review

“Richard Detweiler weaves together a rich historical context, insights from contemporary global institutions, and a unique set of original research data into a compelling case for the value of liberal arts education to both individuals and societies."
—Sean M. Decatur, President, Kenyon College
 
“A statistically rigorous analysis of the particular features of liberal arts education that actually produce impressive lifetime outcomes. Detweiler separates what works from what doesn’t, and makes an empirically compelling case for liberal arts.”
—Daniel F. Chambliss, Tobin Distinguished Professor of Sociology Emeritus, Hamilton College, and coauthor of How College Works

“A welcome, qualitative data-based contribution to the literature on the historic and contemporary role of liberal arts education, and its prospects in a post-pandemic world needing to triangulate public health, economic growth, and civic engagement.”
—David G. Horner, President, The American College of Greece

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08VS46BBT
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The MIT Press (November 2, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 2, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 18797 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0262543109
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Richard A. Detweiler

Richard A. Detweiler

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Richard A. Detweiler is president emeritus of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, managing director of the nonprofit HigherEdImpact.org, and president emeritus of Hartwick College. In addition, he previously served as interim president and distinguished fellow at the Council on Library and Information Resources, vice president and professor of psychology at Drew University, founding dean of the Frye Leadership Institute at Emory University, and was a Peace Corps volunteer and trainer. A social psychologist with a PhD from Princeton University with a specialization in intercultural relations, he is a foundation fellow at Oxford University’s Harris Manchester College and has a prolific record of publications and presentations on higher education issues. He is a past recipient of a Carnegie Mellon University/AMS Award for leadership in the innovative use of computer and communications technology and a board member of many higher education organizations.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
14 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charla White
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightfully Compelling
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2022
In my experience as a graduate of a small liberal arts college in Indiana, the work that Richard Detweiler presents in this book is on target. The numbers, interviews, and historical information support the data presented as well as support his argument.

The research completed and included in this book is compelling. It demonstrates the value of a liberal arts education and explains it in a comprehensive manner. As a writer, Detweiler is clear, insightful, and compelling.

Every parent seeking an education for their children and anyone seeking a faculty position should read this book. I had the honor of working with Detweiler at GLCA for a number of years. I saw how hard he worked designing questions, conducting interviews, and gathering the data found in this book. The care and effort he expended on putting this book together is a testament to the value of a liberal arts education.
5 people found this helpful
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ES
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must read.
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2022
I've worked in general education for almost 20 years, leading curricular revisions on my own campus(es) and supporting other campuses in the US and overseas as they take on these really difficult conversations. Detweiler's book is an essential, brilliant contribution to this conversation. It focuses on the goals schools actually have and the ways that we actually achieve those impacts. It's persuasive, thoughtful, convincing. An excellent read that I've already recommended to colleagues and will continue to recommend for years to come.
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Clark Glymour
3.0 out of 5 stars Comparison Group?
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2022
Did he compare the liberal arts graduates with those who had STEM majors?
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