COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS
There is one particular theme that I found to be recurring across the collection of viewbooks: Colorado College is a residential college dedicated, from its creation in 1874, to the liberal arts. Liberal arts colleges share the same critically important objective and in the most simple terms, it means that they are devoted to developing both character and intellect of a student. Colorado College has publicly defended and embraced its liberal education since 1874. When higher education became integral to American life in the 1960’s and the liberal arts lost undergraduate enrollment, Colorado College continued to preach the importance of the liberal arts. Colorado College proudly boasts its liberal education despite the pressures of increasing costs, rising tuitions, and the emergence of career training in undergraduate study. In the 1950’s the nations private and public higher education sectors spit undergrad enrollment. Due to an explosive growth of public universities and community colleges in the 1960’s, undergrad enrollment in liberal arts colleges dropped to only 8% and currently has reached a low of 3%. Colorado College continues to increase enrollment despite these statistics because it remains a selective, elite competitor among other schools.
The liberal arts education was founded in New England. In 1874, Colorado College wanted to attract the New England elites who were candidates for the already established liberal arts schools of the East Coast. The viewbooks in 1874 discuss the enrichment of the liberal arts education and claim to offer exactly what elite east coast liberal arts school do. Located in the pristine Pikes Peak region, which in 1874 was a haven during the tuberculous crisis, was at the time the only distinctive quality that made Colorado College stand out among the east coast liberal arts schools. Colorado College wanted to attract the students that might attend an east coast liberal arts school, but to do so they had to develop and maintain similar images to those schools. According to Harley and Morphew, colleges stray from uniqueness in marketing their school because they do not want prospective students to challenge their legitimacy. Since its founding, climate and location have made Colorado College distinct, but the school wanted to emphasis that it functions internally as an institution of higher education similar to other liberal arts schools. In the 1970’s the school established the unique block plan, which set the college apart from other liberal arts school. However, the block plan makes learning the liberal arts curriculum more authentic because it fosters learning beyond the classroom.
Chopp, Frost, Weiss. 2014. Remaking College:Innovation and the Liberal Arts. Maryland : John Hopkins University Press.
Eugene, Lang. 2000. “Distinctively American: The Liberal Arts College” Journal of Higher Education: 133-150.
