Higher Education Commons^™

Liberal Smarts: Using Constructivist Career Development To Restore Power To The Liberal Arts, Kelly A. Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past two decades, funding to liberal arts programs has significantly declined (Donoghue, 2010; Mangan, 2003; Nussbaum, 2010; Smith 2011). Donoghue (2010) credits the overall decline to changes in the funding structure within higher education, as reliance on private money increases, professional and specialized majors in the business of “practical” value capture the majority of corporate dollars. Brooks (2009a) encourages liberal arts faculty and staff to spend more time and resources working with incoming and enrolled students to assist them in understanding the practicality of their majors, and subsequently how to market their majors to employers. However, thus far, …