IGNITING MINDS
Welcome to the School of Liberal Education
The School of Liberal Education at the University of Lethbridge was established in 2017 to enhance our commitment to liberal education as the university’s foundational teaching and learning philosophy.
By fostering free inquiry and the critical interpretation of ideas, our unique four-pillar approach to liberal education enables a better understanding of experiences and a more empathetic approach to those around us. This helps our students become global citizens who think critically, communicate thoughtfully, respect creativity and act in ways that better the world around them.
“Liberal Education is an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.”
- American Association of American Colleges and Universities
School of Liberal Education Events/Activities
Social Justice Symposium 2019
The School of Liberal Education hosted its 3rd annual Social Justice Symposium on September 20, 2019, with about 130 participants from the university and city communities. Here's a short video about our event:
Liberal Education Living Room Presentations
Fall 2019 Talks:
Oct. 8, 7 pm Building Brains Together, Dr. Robbin Gibb
Nov. 5, 7 pm in AH100: Panel and Book-Club Discussion On the Common Book for this year, Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice.
For more details regarding current and past Liberal Education Living Room events please click here.
Common Book Project
This project, now in its third year at the University of Lethbridge, encourages all students, faculty, staff, alumni and interested community members to read a book chosen for current relevance. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7NFfiYEg18
For more information on the 2019/20 Common Book, click here!
"University has helped me to learn so much about myself and others. It has helped me to become more empathetic, curious and confident. I also feel comfortable asking questions and standing up for what I believe in."
Jamie Lewis | BA Student
Majors: Anthropology and Religious Studies
Our Vision
The School of Liberal Education embodies the University of Lethbridge's commitment to provide students with the skills to think critically and creatively, communicate clearly, work collaboratively, solve complex problems, and contribute fully to society as engaged and informed global citizens and leaders.
Our Mission
To promote the University's foundational philosophy of teaching and learning, based on the goals of our Four-Pillar model of Liberal Education:
- Expand breadth of knowledge and viewpoints
- Integrate knowledge across disciplines
- Emphasize critical, questioning and creative thinking, leading to decisions based on evidence and reasoning
- Foster engaged community citizenship, at all levels from local to global
Featured Stories
School of Liberal Education unveils The Bridge Prize Competition
Liberal Education Courses Eligible for new Alberta Education Math Bursary
There is a $1000 Alberta Education Math Bursary available for students who are enrolled in education or pre-education at the University of Lethbridge for students who want to be teachers, but are not mathematics majors. Two Liberal Education courses were recently added to the approved list: LBED 2100 Quantitative Reasoning and LBED 2200 Puzzles and Problems. Information regarding the bursary can be found here: https://education.alberta.ca/math-bursary/math-bursary-program/ or by emailing EDC.mathbursary@gov.ab.ca.
FURTHER READING
If you'd like to read more about Liberal Education, and the various pillars of our model, see the Bibliography we have compiled here!
A new edited volume on Lib Ed! Liberal Education and the Idea of the University will be published by Vernon Press in April 2019. Edited by Karim Dharamsi and James Zimmer, the volume includes an article on the Evolution of Liberal Education at the University of Lethbridge, by U of L authors Shelly Wismtah, Jan Newberry and Heather Mirau. See https://vernonpress.com/book/575?fbclid=IwAR0y83VWxy4OmqoZAZ5Py5ta6R5Jde....
An article by U of L Political Science professor John von Heyking on What Socrates Means for Liberal Education in Asia: