On March 19, Rollins College will induct its third graduating class into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's most prestigious academic honor society. The fact that Rollins won her PBK chapter is a significant accomplishment in itself. Rollins is only her 293rd branch among her more than 3,500 higher education institutions in the United States. Criteria required to earn a chapter include academic rigor in the liberal arts and sciences, faculty excellence, a commitment to academic freedom, and an institution's dedication to liberal education. Our Hall of Fame inductees include 17 U.S. Presidents, 42 Supreme Court Justices, more than 150 Nobel Prize winners, as well as researchers and scientists who apply liberal arts education to the betterment of humanity. Join an association that includes academics, entrepreneurs, and poets.
As I prepare for PBK's celebration of academic excellence, I am humbled by the attacks on the state of higher education, especially the relevance of the liberal arts. Studying the liberal arts and sciences provides depth and breadth of knowledge, provides space for questions and insights about controversial ideas, and allows for diversity of thought. Liberal education values free inquiry in the pursuit of knowledge, no matter how controversial or unpleasant the facts may be. When reasoned disagreements arise, the intellectual challenge is to pursue knowledge and truth while respecting the diversity of different legitimate points of view.
The mission of liberal arts and science education, which both Rollins and PBK passionately advocate, is more relevant and persuasive than ever precisely because opinions are polarized and facts are contested. It has never been anything powerful. Liberal education provides space for “habits of mind necessary for the advancement of knowledge.” [to] Preserve our republic by educating our people in the freedom and intellectual independence necessary to participate in society. [democratic] “Autonomy in a Pluralist Society,” according to the Princeton Principles for a Campus Culture of Free Inquiry.
Every year, I ask my students to remember their responsibility to receive a free education. Liberal education is not a political ideology, although it is often misunderstood and mischaracterized. Rather, a liberal education is designed to open the mind to a full range of diverse ideas, regardless of their popularity. Liberal education is an approach that provides individuals with broader knowledge and transferable skills, as well as stronger values, ethics, and civic participation. In fact, liberal education enables truly “free” human beings because it helps clarify the meaning of justice, equity, and the common good. Recall the challenge that the influential American publisher Henry Regnery wrote in the mid-20th century: Education without courage is useless. ”
Employers recognize that liberal arts students have the breadth and depth to adapt to ever-changing conditions in a dynamic global economy. These students are able to lead meaningful, productive, and engaged lives, regardless of their chosen profession. They have the problem-solving and critical thinking skills necessary for success in the workplace.
Beyond the workplace, liberal education is essential to democracy. Educational philosopher John Dewey was a major influence on Rollins, dating back to his participation in the first national conference on liberal education in 1931. One of his principles that emerged then is that the purpose of the liberal arts is to “organize, communicate, and educate.” Extending and applying knowledge. ” Liberal education develops both personal citizenship and workplace skills.
Nearly 250 years after its founding, Phi Beta Kappa still holds symbolic keys important to its members. On the front are the Greek letters Phi, Beta, and Kappa, which are the initials of the words in the motto. Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs, “The love of learning is the guiding principle of life.'' We celebrate the accomplishments of our newest inductees into Phi Beta Kappa. More broadly, we celebrate the guidance that liberal education and learning provides individuals to aid social and economic progress.
Dr. Donald Davison is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Rollins College. He is a founding faculty member of Phi Beta His Kappa Chapter and a professor of political science.
