The Washington Post – Gretchen Ritter
“What is the purpose of college? Certainly it prepares students for careers and offers opportunities for learning and personal advancement that they may not get otherwise. But what other purpose does college serve? Like many leaders in higher education, I believe that we also have a responsibility to foster good citizenship, and I think that’s one of the most important contributions college can make to society. I want our graduates to be thoughtful, informed participants in debates over key public issues…How does college foster these attributes of good citizenship? There are three things that matter deeply here: knowledge, public orientation, and human understanding…a liberal arts education should equip graduates with an orientation to knowledge and learning that prompts them to venture into new knowledge areas with a critical acumen that will allow them to keep abreast of issues in a changing world.”(more)