One View of the Goal, Functions, and Skills of a Liberal Arts Education

(developed in Roc's Introductory Biology classes from 1988-91)

Important Skills 1. ability to work with people 2. ability to organize time 3. discipline 4. ability to enjoy a variety of pursuits 5. ability to think critically 6. ability to interpret scientific ideas and terminology 7. ability to learn independently 8. ability to use risk-benefit and cost-benefit analysis 9. ability to interpret quantitative data - graphs, charts, etc. 10. ability to function in a laboratory environment 11. understanding of theory and experimental evidence 12. understanding that there are no facts in science 13. understanding that all scientific evidence may be proven false 14. understanding of the nature and limitations of models