Watch: Symposium on the Future of the Liberal Arts :: Swarthmore College Sesquicentenial

Watch: Symposium on the Future of the Liberal Arts

To help celebrate its sesquicentennial, Swarthmore College hosted a symposium titled "The Future of the Liberal Arts" on Sat., Feb. 22, in the Eugene and Theresa Lang Performing Arts Center. The event, presented by the College's Institute for the Liberal Arts, included two panel discussions featuring distinguished alumni leaders in higher education, as well as a keynote address from Mary Schmidt Campbell '69, dean of the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

"I consider Swarthmore alumni who are leaders in higher education to be among the College's greatest sources of pride," says President Rebecca Chopp. "This symposium offers a rare opportunity to feature their diverse thoughts and ideas." Read President Chopp's remarks from a banquet after the event.

The entire symposium was live tweeted; view a transcipt via Storify.

Mary Schmidt Campbell '69, dean of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, delivered the symposium keynote, titled "The Role of the Arts in Liberal Arts Education."

President Rebecca Chopp moderated the first panel, "The Future of Knowledge," which explored the future of liberal arts education in a rapidly changing world and how Swarthmore can lead the way. Speakers included Rebecca Bushnell '74, former dean and current School of Arts and Sciences Board of Overseers Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania; Sean Decatur '90, president, Kenyon College; Ellen Schall '69, Martin Cherkasky Professor of Health Policy & Management at NYU-Wagner and a senior presidential fellow at NYU; and Philip Weiser '90, dean, University of Colorado-Boulder Law School.

Janet Dickerson H'92, Board of Managers chair of student affairs and former dean of the College, moderated a second panel, "Fostering a Democratic Society through Education." Speakers included William Frederic Boulding '77, dean and J.B. Fuqua Professor of Business Administration, Duke University; Christopher Edley Jr. '73, former dean and current faculty member, University of California-Berkeley School of Law; Tori Haring-Smith '74 president, Washington & Jefferson College; and Phyllis Wang Wise '67, chancellor, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.