Public debate, faculty forum and discussion: 'UAA should prioritize workforce development over a liberal arts education,' Nov. 12

Thursday, Nov. 12, 7-9 p.m. UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

The Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, Difficult Dialogues Initiative and Seawolf Debate Program invite you to a public debate, faculty forum and discussion: "UAA should prioritize workforce development over a liberal arts education."

The media contains numerous reports of U.S. jobs going unfilled, or being outsourced to distant lands, because too few American workers have the requisite skills to perform them well. In Alaska, with the fiscal crisis expected to last into the foreseeable future, and with student debt rising, the pressure on students to have highly marketable skills is on the increase. More than two dozen universities in Japan are reducing or eliminating academic programs in the humanities and social sciences, following a dictum from Tokyo to focus on disciplines that "better meet society's needs." But don't we need citizens capable of navigating their way through the complex social and political challenges we face, using skills and perspectives provided by a well-rounded liberal arts education? Join us for this important discussion.

Free of charge and open to the public. Featuring the award-winning UAA Seawolf Debate Program, a faculty response panel and a facilitated public discussion.

With UAA faculty panelists:

• Dan Kline, English
• LuAnn Piccard, Engineering
• Landry Signe, Political Science

This event is part of a series sponsored by the UAA Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence since 2003 to offer the UAA and Anchorage communities access to university resources as a basis for discussions of policies and issues affecting its future.

For more information, contact Libby at eroderick@uaa.alaska.edu or (907) 786-4605.

November Archive