Liberal arts has an image problem, according to Jonathan Schroeder, William A. Kern Professor of Communications in RIT's college of liberal arts.
RIT is hosting a March 15 symposium to explore the role of liberal arts in business. Schroeder says although liberal arts and business are traditionally represented by different paths of study at many universities, there are many natural links between the two. "At the same time that business schools are rethinking their curriculum, we're also trying to get liberal arts to think about and articulate how do our programs prepare students for these kinds of careers." He says the event will feature research published by the Carnegie Foundation. "We've got people who study esthetics and leadership, and we've got people who study business ethics and philosophy, we've got people who study art and marketing. This is meant to be inspiring for both faculty and students to see some theoretical, intellectual and research connections between liberal arts and business."
Schroeder says skills taught through a liberal education, such as critical thinking, are invaluable to students as they embark on their professional lives, which for many, will include a number of different positions and careers.
The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration is required at www.rit.edu/cla/kern/program.php.