Vanishing Liberal Arts: The Disappearing Act of Critical Thinking

About the Episode: Hosts Mallory and Seth examine the critical state of liberal arts education in America and the challenges facing liberal arts programs, including declining enrollments and financial pressures. Mallory and Seth passionately advocate for a rebranding of the liberal arts to highlight their enduring value in fostering critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability in an uncertain future.

Episode Highlights:

• Enrollify's success in audience growth and the search for a new marketing manager to propel the brand further, plus innovative hiring strategies that encourage creativity and ensure candidates' attention to detail.
• The pressing challenges faced by liberal arts programs, including significant declines in enrollment and faculty positions.
• The potential of liberal arts education in developing versatile, critical thinkers capable of navigating rapid technological advancements and changing job markets.
• The crucial role of marketing and communication professionals in rebranding liberal arts to highlight their contemporary relevance and value.

This episode not only underscores the urgent need to reevaluate and refresh the perception of liberal arts education but also celebrates the adaptability and critical thinking skills it cultivates, advocating for a balanced approach to preparing students for the future workforce.

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Episode Summary

Why Liberal Arts Programs Are Struggling

Mallory and Seth highlight the challenges facing liberal arts programs, including declining student interest and enrollment. The hosts discuss how societal focus on STEM and hard skills has overshadowed the benefits of a liberal arts education, such as critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability. They also address the significant reduction in faculty positions and programs in the humanities, underscoring the urgency for change.

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Liberal Arts Needs a Marketing Makeover

Rebranding liberal arts is essential to counteract misconceptions. Seth shares insights from Concordia University Irvine’s successful "Enduring Questions and Ideas" curriculum, which reframes liberal arts education as an exploration of life’s toughest questions, such as “What is truth?” and “What is beauty?” This approach resonates with students and parents, emphasizing professional and personal development.

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Future-Proofing Education for a Rapidly Changing Workforce

The hosts discuss how the rapid evolution of technology, especially AI, is reshaping the workforce and increasing the need for adaptable skills that liberal arts provide. Mallory and Seth advocate for integrating contemporary themes into liberal arts curricula to ensure relevancy. They challenge marketers and institutions to rethink how these programs are presented and marketed to students and their families.

https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-gutting-of-the-liberal-arts
https://www.chronicle.com/article/humanities-on-the-cutting-room-floor
https://www.chronicle.com/article/heres-what-happened-after-3-colleges-announced-cuts-to-the-liberal-arts 

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:

Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ 
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea 

Seth Odell 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/ 
https://twitter.com/sethodell 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. 

Connect with Us at the Engage Summit: Exciting news — Mallory will be at the 2024 Engage Summit in Raleigh, NC, on June 25 and 26, and we’d love to meet you there! Sessions will focus on cutting-edge AI applications that are reshaping student outreach, enhancing staff productivity, and offering deep insights into ROI. 

Use the discount code Enrollify50 at checkout.

Learn more and register at engage.element451.com — we can’t wait to see you there!