DURANGO - On November 5, 2013, the NY Times published a story entitled “The Fate of the Humanities” that brought academics from across the country together to debate the state and future of the humanities. Each of the contributors had varying opinions on whether or not the humanities were in danger and what place they should have in higher education.
The U.S. has seen a rise in interest and investment in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, with even the White House calling for one million more STEM graduates over the next decade. In turn, FLC has seen increases in funding and enrollment for its STEM programs.
A step to help ensure that Fort Lewis College keeps its liberal arts identity is the College’s decision to become a member of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA). FLC joins such other schools as Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford as members.
The NHA is an organization that seeks to support and promote the humanities nationwide through advocacy ranging from local efforts to the federal government. A recent example of the NHA’s mission in action is their work to preserve the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Joining the NHA is one way that FLC is working to ensure that the students who study here get the most complete education possible. An education filled with both the arts and the sciences is something that has been championed by such innovation titans as the former CEO of Apple, the late Steve Jobs.
Mr. Vivek Wadhwa, a researcher and entrepreneur who’s held positions at Harvard, Stanford, and Duke, echoed Steve Jobs’ thoughts when he said, “It takes artists, musicians, and psychologists working side-by-side with engineers to build products as elegant as the iPad.”
At Fort Lewis College, a student can be that musician, artist or psychologist, or they can be the engineer, or they can be a little bit of all of the above.