Community Colleges and the Future of the Humanities

Humanities’ role in higher education, in the classroom and beyond, will be explored. Breaking academic and student silos is critical in a time when as Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist responded (loosely quoted from a TV interview), “Young people need to learn how to learn,” in response to a concerned parent’s question: “What do you recommend young students study in our rapidly changing world?”

The connections of arts and journalism to the humanities is abundantly clear based on Stanford University’s definition: “The humanities can be described as the study of how people process and document the human experience.” Elements of the arts, such as performance and literature, serve as a lens into the human condition. By understanding how aesthetics affect individuals, one can grasp the importance of the arts and how they enrich one’s life. Each panelist will explain a philosophy and practice of increasing student engagement with the “Humanities.” Both academic and student silos need disruption for students to lead fulfilling lives in an ever-challenging world, and to have meaningful roles in a constantly evolving society.

Two presenters connect arts and humanities, as disrupting academic silos. The third presenter connects journalism and the humanities, as disrupting the student silo.