Date: Sep 27, 2010

Hofstra symposium examines the future of liberal arts education

Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ event first in a series of academic symposiums celebrating the university’s 75th anniversary

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY -  The value of a liberal arts-based college education will be the focus of an academic symposium that is the first in a series of conferences and symposia planned as part of Hofstra University's year-long 75th anniversary celebration.

The symposium, "The Future of Liberal Arts in the 21st Century", sponsored by Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (HLCAS), is Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010. The keynote address will be delivered by Michael Bérubé, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, 11:15 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. at Monroe Lecture Center Theater California Avenue, South Campus.

Dr. Bérubé, the Paterno Professor of English Literature, Science, Technology and Society at Penn State, is the author of seven books, including "What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts? Classroom Politics and ‘Bias' in Higher Education," and is second vice-president of the Modern Language Association. He will become president of the MLA in 2012.

A faculty panel discussion, moderated by HCLAS Senior Associate Dean Gail Schwab, will follow from 2:55 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Axinn Library, First Floor, South Campus. The panel will include Hofstra professors G. Thomas Couser (English), Jean Dobie Giebel (Drama and Dance), Stephen Lawrence (Physics/Astronomy), and Susan Yohn (History).

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact HCLAS at (516) 463-5415.

As part of the 75th anniversary celebration, the library and each school at the university will convene a conference examining - both historically and prospectively - an issue related to its academic discipline. For more information about future conferences and other events related to the 75th anniversary, go to http://www.hofstra.edu/75

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services; and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations. The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.
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