LIBS 130: Liberal Arts Education and the Professional Life
TR 1:05-2:20, paired not with Comp but with EXPS 102 section 002 (Roan), T 11:30-12:45
- Graduating seniors contribute to a student-initiated scholarship fund for poor and underrepresented students by taping money on Colorado College President Richard Celeste's cap and gown after receiving their diplomas. Photo by Tom Kimmell. Courtesy of Colorado College.
“What are you going to do with that?” is probably the #1 FAQ of students who major in the liberal arts, especially students in areas like history, English, anthropology, and philosophy. “Why do I have to take all these courses in areas I’m not interested in?” is probably the #1 FAQ by students who enter the university knowing exactly what they want to major in and what they want to do after graduation, whether it’s applying to med school, going into business, becoming a teacher, or working as a psychologist. This special seminar will help students understand the relationship between a liberal arts education and professional training, both historically and for their own lives. Assignments will focus on helping students make the most of college by connecting their academic work with career preparation.
Unlike the other seminars, LIBS 130 is linked not with a Composition course but with Exploratory Studies 102, a one-credit career-planning course that assists students in assessing their interests, skills, and values, and in identifying and researching careers.
Jonathan Smith is Professor of English and has been at UM-Dearborn since 1991. As a high school student, he had no clue what he wanted to do after college. When he got there, he decided he wanted to major in the unlikely combination of English and chemical engineering and then go to law school. But then at the end of his junior year he decided the world had enough lawyers. So he decided to go to graduate school in English to get his Ph.D. Fortunately, his parents didn’t freak (but then, they weren’t paying for his grad school tuition), and he found himself in a profession that enables him to do the things he loves: teach and study and write.
This course may be used to fulfill the following CASL distribution requirement: Letters