On liberal education (or at least a Grinnell liberal education)

As you know, or as you should know, Grinnell has a somewhat unique take on liberal education. Rather than providing you with a list of course requirements (e.g., one year of physical science, one year of biological science, one year of social science, one year of humanistic study, one year of foreign language, etc.) or a list of conceptual requirements (e.g., study of experimental science, study of literature, study of a culture other than your own), Grinnell frees each student to work with an academic adviser [1] to develop an understanding of liberal education and a course plan that ensures that the student is liberally educated.

But what is liberal education? I think of liberal education as education that liberates us from some things and to achieve others. For example, liberal education should free us from the bounds of ignorance and free us to approach problems from multiple perspectives. However, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the early models of liberal education were intended for free men (as opposed to common laborers and perhaps even the mercantile class). Still, I prefer to think of liberal education as education that frees us.

What goes into such an education? The Grinnell College Catalog notes that

A liberal arts education has at its center four practices that distinguish it from other kinds of learning: critical thinking, examination of life, encounters with difference, and free exchange of ideas. [2]

Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us much as we try to develop a curriculum for liberal education, let alone an individualized curriculum. What should we do? A common approach is to return to the requirements common at other institutions, treating them as suggestions, rather than requirements. For example, some suggest that every student should take a science class, a humanities class, a foreign language class, and so on and so forth.

I prefer to work backwards. Rather than thinking about what courses go into a liberal education, I’d prefer to consider the desired outcomes of a liberal education. We then design an individual’s course of study by reflecting on what courses would help achieve those outcomes [3]. There are at least three sets of outcomes we might consider.

One set is Grinnell’s College Wide Learning Outcomes, or CWLOs [4].

1. Students develop creative and critical thinking skills that allow them to analyze the work of others, formulate relevant questions, and respond to those questions in a substantive way using quantitative and qualitative evidence.

2. Students develop a sense of social responsibility and fairness that guides them in their personal and professional lives.

3. Students develop the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively in various modes for various purposes and audiences.

4. Students develop the ability to continue learning independently and collaboratively.

5. Students develop the ability to approach a question from multiple perspectives, representing a diversity of ideas and experiences.

6. Students pursue a chosen field of study in depth and develop understanding of a core body of knowledge in that field as well as the ability to employ modes of inquiry appropriate to that field. [5]

Although those are Grinnell’s official outcomes, I’ll admit that I prefer William Cronon’s ten goals of a liberael education, taken from his essay Only Connect : The Goals of a Liberal Education’.

1. They listen and they hear.

2. They read and they understand.

3. They can talk with anyone.

4. They can write clearly and persussively and movingly.

5. They can solve a wide variety of puzzles and problems.

6. They respect rigor not so much for its own sake but as a way of seeking truth.

7. They practice humility, tolerance, and self-criticism.

8. They understand how to get things done in the world.

9. They nurture and empower the people around them.

10. They follow E. M. Forster’s injunction from Howards End: Only connect . . . [6]

I’d recommend you read all of Cronon’s piece.

Of course, I have my own ever-evolving list of outcomes. I have not phrased them nearly as eloquently as Cronon has.

1. Communication. A liberally educated person can communicate clearly and persuasively in various modes for various purposes and audiences.

1.a. Writing. Most courses at Grinnell will provide opportunities to develop writing skills. To further develop writing skills at communicating in writing, students might also consider courses in which they carefully analyze others’ writings, such as TBD. Students might also take advantage of the Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center or serve as a writing mentor to further develop writing skills. Studying another language can also help students develop a deeper understanding of language.

1.b. Oral communication. Most courses at Grinnell will also provide the opportunity to develop select oral skills (e.g., discussion, presenting). Once again, the Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center can provide further support. Serving a a class mentor or a Science Community Leader helps further develop oral communication skills.

1.c. Visual communication. To develop skills in communicating numeric information, students might take courses in statistics, experimental sciences, or social sciences. To develop skills in presenting other kinds of ideas visually, students might take TBD.

2. Analytical Approaches: A liberally educated person can employ multiple approaches as they seek to understand problems and issues. This variety of approaches also supports them as they continue to learn throughout their lives.

2.a. Theory-based analysis. Many Humanistic disciplines (e.g., Philosophy, Religious Studies, English, GWSS) encourage study of subjects through the lens of one or more theoretical frameworks.

2.b. Synthesizing literature. In many disciplines, one analyzes issues, at least in part, by identifying and reading relevant literature and synthesizing ideas from that literature. Upper-level seminars are often a good opportunity to practice and develop this approach.

2.c. Experimental science. The experimental sciences (including Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Physics, and Psychology) provide a very different mechanism wherein one observes, generates hypotheses, designs experiments, conducts those experiments, and analyses the results.

2.d. Observational science. In many instances, particularly in cases in volving human subjects, it is not ethical to design experiments that involve treating participants. Hence, observational scientific techniques that also involve observation, hypotheses, data gathering, and analysis are also appropriate. The social sciences (including Anthropology, Economics, Political Sciences, and Sociology) also use observational methodologies, tempered by the ethical considerations of designing experiments on humans and societies.

2.e. Formal methodologies. The mathematical sciences (such as Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science) provide more formal mechanisms and, unlike many others, permit certaininty in proof.

2.e.i. Statistical reasoning. Statistics provides an opportunity and tools to think formally and precisely about imprecise data.

2.e.ii. Mathematical modeling. Mathematics, particularly quantiative mathematics, provides tools to model and analyze problems and situations carefully.

2.e.iii. Formal proof. Most mechanisms for ascertaining the validity of a claim may include formal mechanisms, but cannot provide absolute certainty. For example, although we may say that a scientific experiment proves a theory, we may later discover another explanation for the results. In contrast, formal mathematical proof provides a mechanism for giving absolute certainty, often in exchange for very carefully stating assumptions.

2.e.iv. Algorithmic thinking. When face with challenges or problems, we must often come up with algorithms, sets of instructions, that guide others in how to address the challenges or solve the problems. Computer science provides a mechanism by which one better understand how to express and analyze such algorithms.

3. Understanding the other. A liberally educated person looks beyond the self to understand those different than they are.

3.a. Studies of societies and peoples. Courses in the social sciences and History provide one lens through which to understand others. Courses in African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, and GWSS provide further understanding.

3.b. Foreign language. Learning another language provides insight into other cultures.

3.c. Cultural studies. Explicit studies of other cultures, often offered through Grinnell’s language departments, provide further insight.

4. Creativity. A liberally educated person can create new things. Students generally develop creative skills through courses in Studio Art, Music, and TDPS (Theatre, Dance, & Performance Studies). Courses in creative writing provide another opportunity to develop creative skills as do Grinnell’s opportunities to publish student works. Music ensembles, campus performances, and more provide further opportunities.

5. Study of creative works. A liberally educated person has enhanced their understanding of humanity by carefully studying creative works.

5.a. Literary studies. Courses in English and many upper-level coures in our language departments provide the opportunity to delve deeply into literature and what we can learn from studying it.

5.b. Other arts. Courses in Art History allow students to consider a wide range of issues related to art, particularly visual arts. Selected courses in Music and TDPS provide the opportunity to understand performative arts.

6. Introspection. A liberally educated person has deeply considered their place in the world and continues to reflect on it. Courses in Philosophy and Religious Studies often ground such considerations.

7. Interdisciplinarity. A liberally educated person can connect ideas and approaches from multiple discplines. Courses in interdisciplinary subjects, such as GWSS and African Diaspora Studies, provide one type of opportunity to build interdisciplinary skills. Grinnell’s interdisciplinary concentrations provide another.

As I said, this is a work in progress. Among other things, I must reflect more carefully on the various modes of thinking.

Are there other ways to view or design a liberal education? Certainly. Grinnell has two others. One is our statement of the elements of a liberal education. That has six parts. I’ll use the short names, but it’s worth reading the full description.

1. Writing and communication.

2. Language study.

3. Natural sciences [7].

4. Quantitative reasoning [8].

5. Human behavior and society.

6. Creative expression [9].

I have more to say, but that will have to happen another day. For now, I’m strivng to get this out to my advisees.

I would, of course, appreciate any comments you have. Email them to rebelsky@grinnell.edu.

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[1] And, these days, a host of other advisers.

[2] Grinnell College. 2025. Education in the Liberal Arts. Grinnell College 2025–2026 Academic Catalog. Available online at https://catalog.grinnell.edu/content.php?catoid=38&navoid=6365.

[3] Or, at least, a majority of those outcomes.

[4] Pronounced quillos, rhyming with pillows.

[5] Grinnell College. nd. College-Wide Learning Outcomes. Available online at https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/centers-programs/ctla/assessment/college-wide.

[6] Cronon, William. 1998. Only Connect… : The Goals of a Liberal Education. The American Scholar (Autumn, 1998), pp. 73–80. Available online at https://www.williamcronon.net/writing/cronon_only_connect.pdf.

[7] This category also includes Psychology, so it might be better phrased as Experimental sciences.

[8] This category includes not only the kinds of quantitative reasoning normally associated with Statistic, but also Mathematical reasoning and Algorithmic thinking.

[9] This category includes both expressing onesself creatively and studying creative works.