Panel Launched to Study Humanities and Social Sciences
As I was digging through back issues of ED Week looking for an article I wanted to blog about I came across something I really feel passionate about... A commission has been formed to study the issue of saving the Humanities and Social Sciences. Members of this panel include George Lucas (Film director), David Souter (former U.S. Supreme Court associate justice), Ken Burns (documentary producer), and Chuck Close (Photorealist) among others. It will be the responsibility of the commission to save the humanities and social sciences at a time when federal policy-makers are focusing on the "hard sciences". According to the article college humanities degrees have declined 46% over the past 30 years. Humanities and Social Sciences have been under fire for years. Dwindling financial resources mean classes such as foreign languages, drama, art, band, history, civics, creative writing, etc. have been reduced or eliminated. In the past few years many colleges or universities have, for example, eliminated German, Italian, and Russian programs. Although math and science are important, Humanities and Social Sciences are in my opinion critical. How can students grow into people who can meaningfully participate in a democratic society if they lack the critical thinking skills and writing ability to draft a concise, coherent argument in a letter to a representative? You do not learn how to do this kind of writing in a math or chemistry class. How will U.S. business people be able to negotiate with bankers and business people from Germany or Japan if they cannot speak the language or do not understand these cultures? How can U.S. scholars keep abreast with scholarship in their field if they lack the language skills to read scholarship in other languages? I am happy that such a distinguished, creative panel will be studying ways we can shore up supports for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
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