Learning that Frees: Thinking with Roosevelt Montás about the Value of Liberal Arts

Having just recently begun a dean role at a new university, I have been thinking a lot about liberal arts and what the opportunities are at this moment for engaging everything that is inherently valuable about a liberal education. Given the vast array of forces of disruption and change that are swirling about, I am also thinking about what it might mean to re-imagine liberal arts for a new day. As someone who has benefited greatly from a liberal arts education in my own life, I am passionate about ensuring that students from all backgrounds can have the opportunity for transformational learning that an education grounded in the liberal arts offers. I also am aware that, without some kind of careful evolution in the way liberal arts is offered and supported at universities, its future is precarious. 

In such a moment, I am grateful to a colleague who has shared Roosevelt Montás’s excellent and engaging book Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation (Princeton, 2021). I am finding it to be a timely and informative dialogue partner at this exact moment.

In it Montás does five things that I find extremely helpful. First, he helpfully defines what liberal arts means, referring to it as a kind of education that features prominently a “concern with the condition of human freedom and self-determination” (2). In addition, he finds that while liberal education should not be understood as being in opposition to giving students career-ready skills, he also notes that it has a different focus: “Instead of asking how to make a living, liberal education asks what living is for” (3). Thus, when a student pursues a major with clear career outcomes, having that education within the context of a liberal arts foundation ensures they develop the career skills along with those deeper skills and values that promote a meaningful life in other areas.

Second, by sharing his own experience of encountering liberal education through the core curriculum at Columbia University, he provides a compelling personal example of how the liberal arts engender reflection on the most important questions about life. He explains that a liberal arts education grounded in influential texts helps a student “engage in a kind of inquiry that, when successful, produces insights with the power to transform one’s entire life” (13). It did for Montás, as it has for many, myself included.

Third, by spending individual chapters discussing Augustine, Plato, Freud, and Ghandi, he helps readers from any background see the ways in which these significant texts can provoke deep personal reflection and growth, particularly when encountered together with an informed guide and with others who are asking similar questions. For these four authors he points out that they “come from worlds that are in many ways alien to our own, but they speak with intimate familiarity about human experiences we all share” (7). Elsewhere, he concludes, “This is precisely where the greatest value of a liberal education lies: in turning students’ eyes inward, into an exploration of their own humanity under the provocation of works that have proven their power to inspire just such self-reflection” (19).

Fourth, Montás makes a strong case that, since liberal learning is about engendering the freedom to think and determine one’s choices, it is something that is valuable for all, and not just those who can attend elite institutions or who have the privilege and status to be able to afford it as a luxury. Instead he argues that liberal education is “the most powerful tool we have to subvert the hierarchies of social privilege that keep those who are down, down” (12). The people who most need it are not the elite but those who “have historically been denied the tools of political agency” (12). In this line of thinking, the question of the value of liberal arts might be reframed around who is benefiting from the devaluing of liberal education.

Fifth, based on the above, he argues that universities (and the faculty and administrators who run them) have an obligation to reflect seriously and with intention on the importance of liberal education for students and society, and to do the hard work of creating robust core curricula that represent a shared understanding of these fundamental questions. He explains, “In this time of fundamental change, perhaps our greatest need is for clarity and conviction about the values and purposes of higher education” (225). And further, “The corona virus pandemic has exposed the depth of social inequality in America and may give our generation the necessary spur to address it. Making liberal education available and accessible to all students is the most important contribution that higher education can make to this effort” (225).

From Montás I take encouragement and inspiration to continue pressing forward at my institution with the sometimes-challenging conversation about what the goals of university general education are, and how best to support those in the undergraduate curriculum, core curriculum, and first year experience. Montás does not shy away from the hard questions including about his own curriculum which is grounded in Western texts, many of which require us to raise important questions about colonialism, oppression, gender inequality, lack of representation, and so on. He suggests that the debates about these issues, among faculty, with students, and with the public, are part of the rich process of engaging the traditions which have shaped our cultures today, as well as part of the process of imagining new possibilities. Montás also provides some helpful principles that undergird the Columbia University curriculum and useful frameworks for having those conversations within the faculty as a whole without having to start from scratch.

In the moment we are in today where many are trying to make sense of their lives and of this uncertain world in which we live, an education grounded in the liberal arts and in conversation with thinkers who have shaped the development of our world can be a powerful tool. Such an education can help ensure that in the face of a surplus of information, misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, we can still learn to think freely (the liber in liberal arts) for ourselves—and to do so in meaningful dialogue with others asking the same fundamental questions.

Book Argues that Students Might be Able to "Hack" College -- And that this is Great for Everyone

Thoughts on Hacking College: Part One

In my first week as dean at California Lutheran University (day two actually!) a colleague gave me a copy of the book Hacking College by Ned Laff and Scott Carlson (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025.) Published last year, it is a timely book and one that is helping shape a reimagined and integrated student experience at California Lutheran University. Since I’ll play a part in this process of implementing a revitalized model of advising and mentoring, I have been diving into this book. From the start, I have been impressed with its conceptual framework and theoretical underpinning.

 

The aim of the book is to outline “how college faculty and staff can help students "hack" their college experience through a proactive, personalized approach to success.” Hacking College brings awareness for faculty and staff of some features of the student experience that are critical to their success both in college and beyond. The authors advocate a “field of study” approach which takes a wider, more dynamic, and potentially more integrated look at a student’s college and career path than does just a singular focus on “the major.”

 

Key concepts include the ideas of hidden intellectualism, vocational purpose and wicked problems, social and cultural capital, and the hidden job market.

In this blog post and the next, I discuss a few of their key concepts. Today I start with hidden intellectualism and move on to the hidden job market. I was struck by these two “hidden” concepts, both of which offer a lot of potential to open up rich conversations with students at each stage of their college journey.

 

The idea of “hidden intellectualism” is the understanding that every student has interests and curiosities from their lived experiences that, if leveraged, can help them find intrinsic motivation to pursue learning and intellectual development. “Students arrive on campus as latent intellectuals already possessing these interests.”

 

To me, this is one way of recognizing the latent capacity that all students have, whether they know it or not. Faculty mentors, with the right questions and guidance, can tap into this latent intellectualism and help students find a path that is intellectually energizing for them based on subjects and experiences that are already of interest to them.

 

The “hidden job market” are those jobs that people don’t easily see—jobs that are not readily visible for someone without deeper awareness of the field or connections within it. A great example that one of my faculty offered is music production. While a student might envision being a music producer as their career goal, there are actually many more numerous roles in a music studio and in music production that they may find fulfilling.

 

To me, this concept reinforces the importance not only of internships but of universities fostering corporate, community, and professional partnerships that give students exposure throughout their college years to the wide range of paths they could follow in a particular field. The extent to which faculty engage in these partnerships only enhances the mentoring they are able to offer their students and the connections they are able to facilitate.

 

The cool thing about paying attention to these concepts (and the others I will discuss in the next post), is that they strongly suggest that a student can pursue any major—even those that are not directly linked to a specific career outcome—and find themselves well prepared not only for a great job, but also for a meaningful life. This, in essence, is the promise of liberal arts, though this promise may seem challenging to trust in today’s climate of uncertainty and doubt in higher education where students and parents are seeking direct career pathways.

 

The overall idea of the book is that a field of study approach, when implemented intentionally, validates both the major (any major!) and the student experience outside of the classroom as valuable in shaping their college experience and their life beyond college.

 

The authors claim: “Linking awareness of students’ latent intellectualism, vocational purpose, wicked problems [i.e., the ‘problem’ of their career choices], and the hidden job market can help administrators rebuild enrollments in disciplines typically written off as non-vocational.”

 

How that might work in practice is what I explore in part two.

Windows and Bridges as Metaphors for Learning and Life

This past week my colleague, Dr. Keely Baronak, and I spoke with the campus community at the Carlow Forum about the launch of the new College of Education and Social Work and what it means for Carlow University. We focused our conversation on three themes: transformation, liberal arts as education for a great career and a meaningful life, and meeting the next great need. These focal areas, which are at the heart of the work our colleges do, seemed to resonate with the community and led to some rich discussion and feedback.

 Liberty Bridge, Pittsburgh. Source: Wikimedia Commons

In this post I offer just one facet of that conversation: a metaphor I shared that resonates with me and that  captures, in an affective and impressionistic way, what an education grounded in the liberal arts “does” for students on their educational journeys. In a previous blog post, I reflected on the skills of the liberal arts and how these connect with the qualities employers most seek in their employees. As important as that information is for understanding the relevance of liberal arts today, it also does not give the whole picture. This metaphor attempts to get at it in a different way. 

The way I’m beginning to think about an education grounded in the liberal arts is like a ride on the T. [Side note: The T is Pittsburgh’s public rail transit. Second side note: When I first moved to Pittsburgh in 2015, I assumed the T was a reference to the train. Not so. For Pittsburghers, it is actually the trolley. I thought yinz would appreciate this.] 

Think about it. As a student you are on an educational journey, a degree pathway. It starts at a particular station, orientation, and ends at another one, graduation. And along the way you are literally moving to a new place, a place you want to get to. 

Taking the T from the south hills, like I do most days, there are some great views along the way—especially coming over the hill through the Allentown neighborhood. Just as you crest the hill, all of a sudden the city view opens up. And it is just beautiful. To the right is the Cathedral of Learning and Oakland. Ahead is downtown and all its beautiful buildings. And to the left is Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park. And of course, every direction I look are the bridges, making connections possible across the rivers. This panoramic view often surprises me and always gives me a really interesting moment of perspective on where I work, where I live, and also the beauty in this world.

But one day I thought: imagine if there were no windows on the T. It would still do what it needed to do: take me from point a to point b. It would not take any less time or more time. But I would, without even knowing it, miss out on the incredible view—a view I would not get at any other point in my day. I would miss out on the perspective I could gain from looking out from that view, and just the enjoyment of the experience.

Pittsburgh Skyline. Source: Wikimedia Commons

In a way, this is what an education grounded in the liberal arts is like. If attaining a degree is a train journey from point a to point b, from orientation to graduation, as a student you need to get to point b with the foundational skills, experiences, and qualifications you need for the career you aspire to. Nurses need to learn a set of baseline clinical skills. Educators need skills in classroom management and curriculum and instruction. Computer scientists need fundamental coding and technical skills. That is what a student’s major provides them.

But at colleges and universities which offer an education grounded in the liberal arts, students also have windows to the world around them. The windows are an opportunity to see a fuller picture of human life, of nature, of the vitality of our world. Liberal arts—natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, creative arts, history, philosophy, ethics, theology— are like those windows, inviting a wider view. They not only enhance a person’s journey, but also invite new perspective on that journey. They might invite curiosity and even inspire a person to travel some new routes. They might help develop empathy for those they see along the way, who are in very different life circumstances than they are.

So we can think of those non-major classes (e.g., the classes in the Carlow compass, or electives, or a minor in a different field) as windows on the journey of education—enriching your ride, giving you a larger perspective, and enhancing your life.

John O’Donohue shared a similar concept which pointed me in this direction. He wrote about how we, as humans, can conceive of our lives as an expansive tower made of large and open windows. Unfortunately, most of us become quite comfortable remaining in one area of our tower and looking out of just one or two windows—the ones we are used to. The opportunity and invitation in life is to have the curiosity and courage to move around and explore the rest of the space in our lives, and to see what life looks like from other windows.

“Real growth is experienced when you draw back from that one window, turn, and walk around the inner tower of the soul and see all the different windows that await your gaze. Through these different windows, you can see new vistas of possibility, presence, and creativity. Complacency, habit, and blindness often prevent you from feeling your life. So much depends on the frame of vision—the window through which you look.” (John O’Donohue, Anam Cara)

To me, this is a beautiful image of opening ourselves to more of the experiences and opportunities that life offers us. This process of opening ourselves to more of the human experience is part of what a liberal arts education, when done well, can encourage within us.

Andy Warhol Bridge. Source: Wikimedia Commons

There is one further element of this metaphor I have been exploring. During my commute the windows also make it abundantly clear that you cannot get from here to there without crossing bridges.

And I now see that an education grounded in the liberal arts (and at Carlow, one grounded in values of mercy, service, and the dignity of every person), invites us to consider the bridges we need to cross in our world today. Bridges connect people, and metaphorically, they are a way of getting across differences.

In a moment like the present, with so much division and animosity, the skills of the liberal arts (listening, learning, considering others’ ideas and perspectives, empathy) can help us see the world from many different perspectives and imagine, and build, bridges to reconnect with others across those differences.

Our social media-driven world and the AI transformation we are going through also raise a lot of questions about how we all can preserve and foster meaningful human interactions and connections. Pope Leo challenges all of us to build what he calls “bridges of dialogue” that can help foster a sense of the brotherhood and sisterhood of all of us. In essence, this is a key part of creating a more just and merciful world.

In short, as I think about what an education grounded in the liberal arts offers students today, I think of windows and bridges: windows that expand our vision to encompass all the richness and beauty of the human experience; bridges to connect us across division and help foster connection and understanding.

What Liberal Arts Education Does and Why It Still Matters

Liberal arts education is doomed to an AI-fueled obsolescence. Or is it? With its focus on fostering deeply human skills such as empathy, creativity, and ethical reasoning, this might just be a moment in which a liberal arts education is more relevant than ever. Starting the new academic year in this transformational AI moment, many of us are asking ourselves what kind of education is needed now and into the future, and what value does a liberal arts education offer. 

Birmingham Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A high-quality liberal arts education does many things, but two are especially critical today:

A liberal arts education helps you develop skills for a great career AND develop skills for a meaningful life.

 

This is so because an education grounded in the liberal arts:

 

• Energizes analytical thinking,
• Boosts creativity,
• Nurtures self-awareness,
• Elevates empathy, and
• Unlocks an appreciation for life.

Interestingly enough, these abilities align directly to five of the top eight core skills that employers say they are looking for in their employees. “Soft skills,” as they are sometimes called, are in high demand, and increasingly so in our AI world. (See the World Economic Forum's "The Future of Jobs Report 2025" for the details.)

A liberal arts education is invaluable because it:

Energizes analytical thinking. "Analytical thinking" is the top skill employers say they need. And rightly so. In any work environment, learning to formulate meaningful questions; synthesize information from multiple sources; create coherent arguments; question assumptions; apply moral and ethical reasoning to complex situations, are invaluable skills. As one AI-engineer shared with me, “AI can do Excel but you need to be able to think critically, think deeply across different problems, in order to make use of it and not be replaced by it.”

Boosts creativity. "Creative thinking" is fourth on employers’ lists of core skills they seek in their employees. While AI-generated content is all the rage right now, many people are voicing concerns, dissatisfaction, or outright disgust with some of the types of output they are encountering. It is even possible that we may see a swing back to interest in human-produced content: writing, music, poetry, art, books. See Jessica Stillman's interesting take that "The Rise of AI Will Make Liberal Arts Degrees Popular Again: Here's Why."

Nurtures self-awareness and Elevates empathy. Encountering the experiences of other people through music, movies, literature, poetry and art, we learn to visualize the stories of others. Opening our minds this way invites understanding and compassion, engaging other people and ourselves as whole persons. Martha C. Nussbaum explains:

We do not automatically see another human being as spacious and deep, having thoughts, spiritual longings, and emotions. It is all too easy to see another person as just a body—which we might then think we can use for our ends, bad or good. It is an achievement to see a soul in that body, and this achievement is supported by poetry and the arts, which ask us to wonder about the inner world of that shape we see—and, too, to wonder about ourselves and our own depths. (Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities, 102)

And note also that the number five core skill on employers’ lists is "motivation and self-awareness" while the number seven core skill is "empathy and active listening."

Unlocks an appreciation for life. Employers seek people who posses the core skills of "curiosity and lifelong learning" (number eight on their lists). Philosophy, theology, and related disciplines remind us that there is a gentle radiance, a quiet but luminous presence, a spiritual dimension, in all aspects of being: humans, living creatures, plants, inanimate objects, the earth itself. Depending on your view you might call this transcendence or the sacredness of creation; or you might say this world is enchanted, charmed with magic. Regardless, whether we perceive this mysterious aspect of the world depends largely on our ability to slow down, quiet our minds, and, with awareness, offer reverent attention to the world around us and the world within us. “But the magic of life is not about definitions and labels; it’s about love. About finding the beauty in the everyday motions of life” (Courtney Peppernell, Watering the Soul, p. 30). A liberal arts education invites us to appreciate the beauty and wonder of this world in which we live.

 

More than just practical in their own right, development of these skills and qualities prepares a person for "leadership and social influence," which is the number three skill sought by employers. Add “technological literacy” (#6) and “resilience, flexibility and agility” (#2) to your capabilities and you possess the top eight skills employers seek.

 

What can you do with these skills? Use them in all areas of your life to support meaningful relationships and meaningful work. A deeper sense of understanding who you are, appreciating the complexity of others, and an ability to engage each new circumstance with openness and creativity are qualities that will serve you well your whole life.

 

 

Racism, Violence, and Discrimination versus the Sacredness of Creation

While the first week of the new term is always filled with stress and uncertainty of new classes mixed with the anticipation of new things ahead, this past week held something else: challenging thoughts for the new year. Three different events were held on campus this week that showcase what we mean at Carlow University when we talk about respecting the dignity of every human being--a concept that is closely related to the core value of focus for Carlow’s 2019-20 academic year, “Sacredness of Creation.” As I have noted in another post, this value is not just about respecting the world around us, but also about recognizing that every person we encounter is a unique creation of God. Thus we honor the “Sacredness of Creation” when we recognize the presence of God in every person, and when we treat all people with the dignity they deserve. Three events this week brought this idea into sharp focus as they addressed issues of racism, violence, and discrimination.

The first was a student panel in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr day, co-hosted by the Social Justice Institutes and the College of Leadership and Social Change. The event was entitled “Disruptive Empathy” and began with psychology faculty member, Dr. Pat Jameson, sharing from her research in relational cultural theory—a framework in psychology which promotes the benefits of empowering relationships in contrast to the destructive dynamics of power/over relationships. Notably, she began with mention of the concepts of justice and mercy that we focus on in our Contemplation and Action courses. Specifically, the idea that justice is "finding out what belongs to whom, and giving it back" (citing Walter Bruggeman). In this case: the respect and human dignity that every person deserves. Her comments set the stage for students' talking about their experiences of marginalization based on their multiple identities whether related to gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or even place of origin. They also spoke about where they sought strength and encouragement, and gave some really thoughtful insights into ways the Carlow community might move forward to become even more of a place where “all are valued and all may thrive.” A key takeaway for all attendees was the advice to listen, really listen, to what our students of color, as well as other individuals with identities which are prone to be marginalized by the majority culture, have to say. And in that listening, not assume that "we" (ie the majority culture) know what those individuals are going through or what they need.

The second event was a faculty and staff training opportunity led by our Student Affairs leaders and chief of police around the university’s new Green Dot training. Green Dot is a bystander awareness and intervention program aimed at producing a culture change related to interpersonal violence whether sexual violence, intimate partner violence, or stalking. The purpose of the faculty and staff session was to share the details of the program with the community prior to its being rolled out with students. Part of the key to this program is having a campus culture that reinforces the message that violence is not ok and that everyone does their part to promote a safe campus. Rather than just a one-time training or seminar, Green Dot looks to be a very comprehensive and multi-pronged approach aimed at culture change. From the statistics that were shared, the program produces measurable and meaningful results where it has been used. A key insight was the idea that there are many ways to intervene in situations where someone may be in danger, and these range from simple distraction to delegation (finding someone in a suitable position or relationship to address the problem) to direct involvement. With awareness of the scope of the problem and with a range of tools in hand, members of our community can be better prepared to respond to a questionable situations where an individual’s safety may be in jeopardy.

The third event was a faculty lecture by Dr. Clara Cheng related to her research on implicit bias. Her talk was part of the President’s Lecture Series celebrating Carlow’s 90^th anniversary and showcasing Carlow’s faculty expertise for the university and the broader community. Dr. Cheng did some myth-busting based on her extensive research and explained that implicit bias is something everyone has and that it is absorbed from the culture around us. Further, the problem with implicit bias is that it leads (even if unintentionally or unconsciously) to real impact in peoples’ lives. Dr. Cheng referred to research studies related to school achievement, college admission, job applications, career success, health care, criminal justice, and engagement with police officers, as areas where implicit bias impacts outcomes in very disparate ways for different groups. One recommendation from her talk was to recognize that implicit bias is a habit—and like any habit, if we work at it we can break it. When we catch our minds moving down a well-worn path of judgment of someone who is different from us, we can take the small step to replace biased thoughts about a person we encounter with a neutral thought.

Most encouraging to me about these events was the attendance—by faculty, students, and staff. During a very busy week, all three had better turnout than I have seen at many other open events addressing needs in the campus community. With this level of interest, and the rich content of challenging ideas shared, we all have a lot to think about as we seek to live in ways that recognize and honor the value of each person we encounter. And what a worthy goal to work toward in the new semester, new year, and new decade.

The Value of a Liberal Arts Education

Two national organizations dedicated to the meaningful delivery of university education issued a joint statement this week about the value of the liberal arts. The statement by these two organizations, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), is in response to a widespread trend which shows a devaluing of the liberal arts in American society today. The now common caricature and criticism of the liberal arts, particularly the idea of majoring in a liberal arts discipline in the humanities such as philosophy, history, theology, art, or English, is that they are not directly tied to training for a specific career outcome. And as students are steered toward other more clearly career-oriented majors that they can be sure will lead to a specific job, liberal arts enrollments have declined. This has often led to difficult decisions by university administrators to eliminate some liberal arts majors. It has also led to decisions by state legislatures who fund higher education about how to prioritize their limited funding. The result is a cycle that in the end reflects a societal devaluation of liberal arts education.

But, as the AAC&U and AAUP statement points out, it has long been known by employers that liberal arts are great preparation for many careers since, rather than focusing on one narrow set of technical skills (which may become irrelevant) the liberal arts prepare graduates with skills they will use in any career. These skills include the ability to learn quickly and learn on the job, a capacity for lifelong learning. They also include the ability to think deeply and critically, to understand complex problems, to draw on knowledge from a range of disciplines to solve problems, and to be creative in approaching challenges. In addition the liberal arts foster the ability to understand differing perspectives and, more importantly, people who have differing perspectives. The liberal arts promote empathy along with an understanding of culture and how it impacts individuals and groups.

All of those skills are more important in today’s society than they ever have been. Thus, the promotion of the liberal arts can readily be seen as needed for the sake of the public good. This shifts the focus from only the single issue of an individual having the option to choose liberal education to a broader issue: how to promote and foster what is needed for our society to thrive and to overcome its current challenges. Career education and technical training, as inherently valuable as those are, are not sufficient in themselves. A liberal arts education has a strong claim to being equally important for our world today, if not more so.

This week, in addition to being glad to see this joint statement about the liberal arts, I also came across a now classic essay entitled “Only Connect” by William Cronon. This essay, from twenty years ago, described the ten things that liberal arts enables people to do. The last was the phrase “only connect” which suggests the ability to take the many parts of a liberal education and make connections—between ideas, between events, as well as between people. I was surprised to see at the end of Cronon’s essay that he linked the liberal arts to one primary goal: love. A liberal arts education is not something one undertakes only for oneself, although the value to an individual can be great (see the salary surveys of liberal arts majors by mid-and late-career compared to other majors). Instead, the thinking, skills, and values of a liberal arts education provide one the perspective and motivation for service. Cronon wrote: “Liberal education nurtures human freedom in the service of human community, which is to say that in the end it celebrates love.” For Cronon, this is agape love, “the most powerful and generous form of human connection.” One need not look too far to find this notion rooted in the biblical ideals of love of God, the creator of the human community, and love of neighbor.

For those of us committed to lifelong learning, our own as well as that of our students, it is important to remember the value of what we do, both its roots and its outcomes, for individuals and for society. And in the current climate, to be aware of what may ultimately be at stake if liberal arts education continues to be devalued.

Imagine Better

“We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

-J.K. Rowling’s 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University

As an educator in a college that includes the liberal arts and sciences as well as education, this quote really resonates with me. And, in my most optimistic moments, I like to think that this is one of the best things that an education grounded in the liberal arts provides for students: a capacity for imagination. An ability to see problems and challenges from multiple perspectives, and to draw on a wide range of knowledge and experiences to imagine solutions and ways forward that can lead to a better world. I don’t have to look very far to find examples of graduates who are doing just that.

 At the same time, I have to acknowledge that few students see it this way as they begin their educational journey in college. Education for all but a few is instrumental—a means to an end. Get a degree to get a job. I don’t say that to lament this reality; just to acknowledge it.

Where and when does the capacity to imagine better enter in?

From the vantage point of my academic discipline—biblical studies—I see the shaping of the human imagination as a major part of what the biblical writers were about. Through narratives, through psalms, even through letters, the biblical writers invited their readers to envision a world in which God was at work. As much as Christians have prioritized doctrine and right-beliefs over the centuries, it seems to me that the biblical writers were interested in inviting readers to see themselves in a world in which the God who created the world was also actively at work. And from there, to imagine their part as participants in God’s ongoing work of creation and new creation and to enjoy the realities of what it means to be a child of God. And if that is one way that “imagining better” is reflected in the discipline of biblical studies, there are many, many other ways it is reflected in other subjects, all of which contribute to a well-rounded liberal arts education. Ideally.

A recent essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education laments the piling up of BS in higher education. The author, sociologist and professor Christian Smith, lists many things that he considers BS. It is an extensive list of things that, for the most part, are ingrained features and aspects of contemporary higher education that distract from or distort the best of what higher education could be. One could argue with any of his individual laments about the nuances and complexity of each one, but the collective force of the list is jarring. It suggests that, taken together, there are some very serious systemic problems in higher education. But three points of analysis stand out to me.

First, ideas have consequences. The kinds of ideas and thinking that develop in universities make their way into society over time. Accordingly, the currents of BS flowing through universities today will become visible in our public and political life and, Smith claims, actually already are visible in our current highly polarized and divisive political rhetoric. Our institutions of higher learning are supposed to be producing educated citizens and leaders who can participate in the political process and find new solutions to problems, but apparently they have not done so.

Second, Smith notes that many of the people perpetuating the BS within institutions of higher education are well-intentioned people who are doing so unwittingly; with the best of intentions they are participating in a system that is flawed and by participating in it and contributing to it, they contribute to the problems.

Third, what is needed are those who can creatively break out of the current paradigm and foster new forms of higher education that reflect the ideal of what liberal education is all about. Some combination of “visionary traditionalism” (I really like that phrase) and “organizational radicalism” is what is called for. The author suggests we need “people with the capacity to retrieve and revitalize the best of higher education’s past and restructure it in ways that are most effective in the future” (Smith, “Higher Ed is Drowning in BS”).

The solution for higher education is not going to be found in a wholesale return to the past, but it can likely be found in the heart of what higher education, particularly in the liberal arts tradition, is: critical reflection and creative thinking. About the past; about the present; about the future. About problems; about possibilities. Imagining better.

Those of us in higher education need to imagine better for the sake of higher education so that our students can imagine greater for their lives, their communities, and the world as a whole. And I think further that those of us in Christian higher education and at faith-based institutions can look to the examples of prophets and poets in ages past who, through their writings now preserved as scripture, invite all of us to imagine better. And perhaps we all can find this current in different ways in whatever subject area we are passionate about.