Why Liberal Arts?

The Oregon Education Roundtable produced six white papers tiled, “Raising the Bar for PreK-20 Education in Oregon”. According to the white paper titled, “The Competitive Imperative — The Economic Case for Increasing Oregon’s Education Output and Quality”, “It is clear that the economy of the 21st Century will require a different and wider set of skills for individual success. Organizations are changing from fixed hierarchies and mass production to flexible, team-based arrangements. The new workplace depends on the creativity of team members. Job tenure has also changed. Few employees now have life-long careers with a single company. Most workers will change jobs as many as a dozen times or more in their life, and many will switch careers.”

“Studies of economic change illustrate that workers now need not only traditional, basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, but also, as shown below, much broader capabilities in adaptive learning, problem solving, and organization. Increasingly, technological and economic change is pushing employers to seek out and hire workers who have learned how to learn, who can work well in teams, who have excellent communication skills, who are adept and problem-solving, and who bring creativity to the workplace. As it happens, these are the same skills that people need to be successful in all aspects of their lives.”

Skills and Abilities in the Knowledge Economy

  • Basic skills: reading, writing, and mathematics
  • Foundation skills: knowing how to learn
  • Communication skills: listening and oral communication
  • Adaptability: creative thinking and problem solving
  • Group effectiveness: interpersonal skills, negotiation, and teamwork
  • Influence: organizational effectiveness and leadership
  • Personal management: self-esteem and motivation/goal setting
  • Attitude: positive cognitive style
  • Applied skills: occupational and professional competencies

Source:  Carnevale & Desrochers

The distinctive style of undergraduate education at OICF colleges and universities fosters intimate learning environments where extensive interaction between faculty and students and among students themselves creates a community of serious discourse. Small class sizes (faculty to student ratios that average 12:1), a primary emphasis on individualized instruction, and a faculty dedicated to teaching undergraduates are cornerstones of these institutions.

A significant indicator of the quality of attention received by students at independent colleges is the percentage of Bachelor’s Degrees earned in 4 years or less: a student attending a private Oregon college is twice as likely (56%) as a student attending a public Oregon university to complete a baccalaureate degree in four years (28%).

Annually, the ten OICF colleges and universities account for the following percentage of awarded degrees in Oregon from both public and private 4-year colleges and universities:

  • 23% of all Business Administration, Management & Marketing, and Economics degrees
  • 60% of all 4-year Nursing degrees
  • 35% of all “hard science” bachelor’s degrees (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering)
  • 36% of all Education degrees
  • 25% of all English, Literature, and Languages degrees

OICF colleges excel at educating and preparing the individual for citizenship and employment in an increasingly diverse and changing marketplace. The skills and abilities cited earlier as so necessary in the knowledge economy are the very skills and abilities honed by the 4-year liberal arts education at OICF colleges. Liberal arts education is a way of knowing and living, an individualized process of growth focused on intellectual engagement and involvement that is intensely personal, openly shared and grounded in the development of critical and analytical thinking, effective and persuasive communication, and rigorous ethical engagement.

OICF students gain in-depth knowledge in their major areas of study, and are prepared with the foundation of a lifelong and ever maturing capacity to adapt and contribute as engaged, creative, and purposeful citizens, workers and leaders. Leadership, creativity, reason, communication, problem-solving:  these are the skills sought by business and community leaders. The students possessing these skills are the face, hope and promise of continuing leadership in an evolving and challenging world.