The University of New England is a college of arts and sciences. It includes english, math, and science classes. The point of a liberal arts degree is so that we, as students, learn many different aspects of life. We learn how to think critically, work with others, do things that we probably would not chose to do, and we also get to learn about many different authors, philosophers and literature that we would not have known other wise. We also have classes to learn about environmental issues. The point of a liberal arts degree is to make someone a better citizen, this means to be active in a community, how people react to an issue, or how someone responds to a challenge. Liberal arts degrees are supposed to teach students more than just one specific subject or focus on just one career, they are supposed to teach students how to be involved. UNE does a good job of that. It requires students to take different classes even when you have a declared major. It does not want you to be focused on just one “issue,” UNE wants you to be exposed or opened up to many different types of subjects and issues. You should be well-rounded, and learning about subjects not focused on your major helps make you into a well-rounded and important part of your community.

My English class is a good example of the liberal arts curriculum. The handbook says that it teaches students to “..learn to read, think, and write in response to a variety of texts, to integrate their ideas with those of others…” This is important because a liberal arts degree is supposed to teach you how to become an included part of your community. Because this class has you read many different texts and write your opinions down on this e-portfolio, you have to talk about your ideas and opinions with others – whether in a group or in a larger discussion with the whole class- which also forces you to listen to theirs and either agree or disagree with them. You have to be respectful with how you respond but you also can provide positive feedback.

My exploring teaching class is essential to the liberal arts degree. It is specifically an “elementary education major” class. You learn many different ways to teach and how to respond to kids when certain scenarios come around. You go to a school and work one on one with students. Even though this class does not really include a lot of the liberal art curriculum, in a way it sort of teaches you how to be a better part of your community. So while it is not technically included in the liberal arts education, it still could be viewed as one.