The Boutique Liberal Arts?

Overview & Synopsis

The structure of higher education today, in conjunction with those actively trying to devalue a liberal arts degree in the public sphere, has set the table for what seems like a completely rational solution: finding a "niche." Broadly speaking, colleges offering a liberal arts education identify their "niche market" in terms of the conditions of teaching and learning, presenting themselves as the colleges of choice for students who want close personal interaction with faculty, smaller courses, and a grassy quadrangle. This article discusses three primary reasons that those who value liberal education should be concerned about the liberal arts experience being branded as a boutique product: (1) A boutique liberal arts diminishes the transformative potential of a liberal education; (2) The notion of a boutique liberal arts experience belies the real value of a liberal education; and (3) When the liberal arts experience is conceived as a luxury or boutique product, fewer institutions might embrace the kind of learning a liberal education makes possible.