Fall 2003
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Fall 2003 |
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The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and Williams College hosted a recent conference on “Liberal Arts Colleges in American Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities," during which speakers emphasized the importance of liberal arts colleges to the future of the disciplines and of American higher education. CIC President Richard Ekman addressed the topic of "Educational Goals and Student Achievement in a Collegiate Setting" at the November 15 conference. Also speaking were Lucie Lapovsky, president of Mercy College (NY), on tuition discounting and Anne Ponder, president of Colby-Sawyer College (NH) on "Mission and Achievement in Historical Perspective." George Kuh, director of the National Survey of Student Engagement and professor of higher education at Indiana University at Bloomington and Frederik Ohles of Wabash College's (IN) Center for Inquiry in the Liberal Arts, also attended. This conference marks the first time that the ACLS, which is the national federation of the learned societies, has focused on liberal arts colleges. The educational effectiveness of small colleges, their economic pressures, their role in facilitating interdisciplinary and integrative studies, and the scholarly productivity of their faculties were all explored. A volume of proceedings will be prepared and distributed to CIC members. (View related article.) Independent |
