Era of the Liberal Arts

A liberal arts education has always been a wise investment. Choosing to become a stronger thinker, communicator, creator, problem solver, and leader is not likely to go out of style. Few fields are truly future-proof, especially in this age of AI, but those who master distinctly human skills are likely to remain in demand.

No need to take my word for it. A recent CNBC financial segment declared: “We may be moving to the era of the liberal arts graduate.” Tech leaders have been among the loudest voices asserting the importance of a liberal arts education, including Anthropic’s cofounder Daniela Amodei, whose company created the AI chatbot Claude. In a recent Fortune article, Amodei, who holds a BA in English literature, put it this way: “I think the ability to have critical thinking skills and learn how to interact with other people will be more important in the future, rather than less.”

We live in a time of rapid technological change. Today’s cutting-edge tools may be obsolete tomorrow. But the skills learned through studying the liberal arts provide great preparation for career longevity and a life of purpose.

“Tech leaders have been among the loudest voices asserting the importance of a liberal arts education.”

While the liberal arts remain central to a Lewis & Clark education, this does not mean we are standing still—far from it. Our embrace of new and emerging technologies is helping propel the institution forward. Our recently announced data science major is a case in point. Its interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes not only technical fluency, but also ethical reasoning, communication, and real-world application. The same is true for our new minors in AI and cybersecurity. In these fields, technical expertise must be paired with sound judgment, clear communication, and strong ethics.

Our professional schools are also thoughtfully integrating technology into the curriculum, preparing future educators, mental health counselors, and attorneys for fields being reshaped by technological change. The law school’s new strategic plan focuses on future-proofing legal education by emphasizing AI and technology literacy in the curriculum. This summer, the graduate school will host an AI workshop for teachers, emphasizing integrity, equity, and human connection.

My office, working with our AI Advisory Group, sponsored several sessions of community dialogues on campus this past semester. Trained facilitators led thoughtful conversations among students, staff, and faculty to better understand our community’s collective experiences with AI and our guiding values. It’s one more example of how we are helping students and professionals use new technologies with skill, confidence, and care.

Alumni have always played a key role in helping students bridge their education and their postgraduate lives. If you have ideas for how to help open doors for our students during this period of rapid change, I hope you will reach out. One of the hallmarks of our community is the way we show up for one another, building connections and support that are ever more valuable in our increasingly technology-driven world.

Robin H. Holmes-Sullivan, PhD
President