Spotlight on Liberal Arts Colleges

t seems so obvious. An education in the arts and sciences is the best way to prepare for a lifetime of challenges. At Colorado College and similar institutions, the value of a liberal arts education is so crystal clear, so well understood, and so highly regarded that we are unequivocal about it.

But there are those who continually disagree with our beliefs. As a member of the CC family, you have undoubtedly heard other ask what can you do with a liberal arts education? Isn’t four years studying the arts and sciences just plain frivolous? Isn’t this an expensive way to delay entry into the "real" world?

Colorado College is responding forcefully to such questions by joining with the Annapolis Group, a consortium of approximately 100 leading liberal arts colleges across the nation. Named for the location of its inaugural meeting in Annapolis, MD., the group's mission is to work cooperatively to promote greater public understanding of and recognition that a liberal arts education is the most effective preparation for a lifetime of meaningful and productive work, commitment to civic and community leadership, and personal growth and happiness.

As the current chair of the Annapolis Group, I am working with my colleagues on a series of initiatives to increase understanding of the advantages of residential liberal arts colleges. We have a responsibility to articulate more persuasively what makes us special.

One recent outcome of our efforts is a five-minute video production entitled "Spotlight on Liberal Arts Colleges." This educational segment has been used by many PBS affiliates to cover extra airtime between programs. Filmed at CC and Drew University, this feature was broadcast more than 500 times with an estimated viewership of 3 million.

The member institutions of the Annapolis Group have also collaborated on a media resource guide to better direct reporters to key faculty and staff on our campuses. We have commissioned research to amass evidence on the accomplishments of our graduates, the student experience that contributes to those accomplishments, and other distinctive institutional characteristics. We are also collaborating on a project to identify the best practices related to student engagement in learning, the results of which are expected to be of interest to prospective students and their families, accreditors, public agencies, and the media.

We anticipate shortly the publication of Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which will be devoted entirely to the subject of liberal arts colleges. The authors of this special volume include Tom Cech, Nobel Prize-winning chemist, Eugene Lang, founder of the "I Have a Dream" foundation, and Alexander Astin, educational researcher at UCLA.

Individually and collectively members of the Annapolis Group will continue to promote the benefits of liberal arts colleges. As a CC graduate, you are living proof of the value and thus are an excellent ambassador for the arts and sciences. I encourage you to join forces with us in your own way, to speak out about the value of your undergraduate education.

A liberal arts education develops the intellect, shapes sensibilities, creates productive and responsible citizens, and contributes to making this world a better place. What could be more obvious?

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