International Conference on the Liberal Arts:
Looking Back and Moving Forward
The Next 100 Years of Liberal Arts – Confronting the Challenges
September 30-October 2, 2010
St. Thomas University
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Liberal Arts education has been challenged in recent years by the pressures of neo-liberalism and corporatization, cutbacks in public funding, changes in demographics and student population, and internationalization. Professors and administrators are responding in diverse ways that include re-engagement with the values and roles of the Liberal Arts, innovations in curriculum and pedagogical approaches, creative and differential use of technology, and the practical matters of winning public support and retaining students.
With over 50 presentations, panel discussions and 4 keynote speakers, the conference addresses the Liberal Arts in relationship to economics, marketing, managerialism, religion, student retention, and employment, as well as more pedagogical issues related to traditional and modern notions of Liberal education, Fine Arts, and critical thinking. The International Conference on the Liberal Arts will focus on issues of particular relevance to university faculty and administration alike regarding the future of the Liberal Arts.
Keynote Speakers
- Ronald Wright: The Future of the Past: escaping the parochialism of the present
- Henry Giroux: Beyond Bailouts: Rethinking the Neoliberal Subject Higher Education
- Dorothy Smith: Thinking it Through – Retaining Critical Thinking and Social Conscience
- Phil McShane: Liberal Arts: the Heart of Future Science
For additional information on the speakers, registration, accommodation, and schedule go to the conference website www.stu.ca/libconf/ or contact the Conference Chair jcoates@stu.ca.