Liberal Education and the Idea of the University

Dharamsi and Zimmer have curated an impressive collection of essays on how Liberal Education and the concept of a modern university are interconnected. From a principled defense of the values and ideals behind a liberal education to engaging storytelling of model practices and pedagogical approaches, this volume presents the reader with a continuous stream of fresh ideas. The authors offer diverse and well-reasoned arguments for the value to society of an educated citizenry and provide wonderful perspectives on approaches to reach this goal. A remarkable and extensive bibliography encourages the reader to pursue new avenues of scholarship while also allowing for the guilty pleasure of going down the rabbit hole to chase interesting philosophical, historical, or technical details. This book is a must-read for advocates of higher education as a pillar of modern democracy.

Pedro L. Muíño, PhD

Professor of Chemistry, Saint Francis University, USA

This collection offers valuable philosophical and pedagogical arguments for liberal education. Woven throughout the volume are examples and cases from practice that show how to prepare students to thrive in the complex and diverse global terrain of the 21st century. Review of Liberal Education is an important resource for instructors, administrators, and the public to understand better the value of classic texts, the need to develop new and more inclusive cultural assumptions, and to realize relatively non-traditional ways of teaching and learning, from makerspaces to story-telling.

Janice Miller-Young, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Academic Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning; Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada