The Latin word “liber,” meaning freedom, is the root of the words “liberty” and
“liberal.” Consequently, the “liberal” component of liberal studies does not imply
a certain political or moral slant, but rather the idea of freedom. The alternate
meaning of the same Latin word is “book,” the root of “library.” It is the synthesis
of these two ideas that form the core of the liberal studies program.
Students enrolled in the liberal studies program are as diverse as the course
offerings themselves. They may be the life-long learner itching to get back into
a classroom environment; the experienced employee who wants to get ahead with an
advanced degree but has a variety of interests; the professional in nursing, engineering
or technology who would like to take courses in the humanities; or the retiree who
wants to keep learning and challenging his mind. However, this seemingly dissimilar
group of people has an important thing in common: they question the world around
them.
The liberal studies program encourages students to ask questions; to connect
unrelated concepts in order to illuminate an approach to answering their questions;
and to synthesize their findings and draw conclusions based upon them.
