Special Edition Spring 2022: A "Liberal Arts" Education
St. Kate’s and the Importance of Arts and Humanities
Guest Submission by Theo von Weiss ‘23 (Studio Art and Philosophy)
One of the first things you hear about St. Catherine University is that at its core, our college provides a liberal arts education, meaning that students are able to create a well-rounded experience with classes ranging from science and math to English literature and art. Prospective students are attracted to St. Kate’s because of this foundation in liberal arts, which creates a well-rounded person who has knowledge of different areas. Throughout history, art in all forms has changed the way people view the world and has pushed social change time and time again.
However, a trend in recent years has emerged that claims St. Kate’s as primarily a healthcare school, with nursing at its forefront. I spoke with Dr. Amy Hilden (Associate Professor of Philosophy, Ph.D.) who has been at St. Kate’s for 25 years, about the vitality of the liberal arts. With regard to this upswing in healthcare, Hilden claimed, “I think it's so important that when we send our nursing students into the world, our physical therapists, our occupational therapists, our respiratory therapists, our people doing sonography, [that they are] grounded in this understanding of the complexities of the wholism of human life.”
The only way to understand this holism that Hilden talks about is through the well-roundedness of a liberal arts education. There must be a balance between Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs and the Arts and Humanities. When STEM is more dominant, we lose our ability to call ourselves a liberal arts school.
Though St. Catherine University’s mission states they acknowledge the importance of liberal arts, many students in the arts and humanities feel overlooked and unheard. Grace O’Malley ‘23 (Philosophy) stated, “I chose to go to a liberal arts college to receive a rounded education. It has been saddening to see the humanities be put on such a low priority for the university.”
There are only a handful of people left majoring in Arts and Humanities, and the students have been pushed aside and made to feel powerless. There have been lots of programs cut in the past few years including Art Education, French and Theater. In response to being asked about her feelings towards the changes at St. Kate’s, Carolina Lopez ‘22 (Art Education) stated, “I understand why they made those decisions but at the same time it hurt to see my program be cut.”
Art and Humanities students should be able to take up space at St. Kate’s. Ellie Leonard ‘22 (Studio Art) stated, “Not only are they being cut funding-wise, but they are also being given less of a presence on campus, which I think is really sad.”
During one of my classes with Hilden, we discussed the loss of Whitby Hall, the beautiful and historic building that changed from the humanities hub to the Nursing building a few years ago. Hilden discussed how she had a beautiful office with windows in Whitby but was forced to move to a much smaller space with none of the attributes she once had.
With discussion of topics such as arts and humanities, there’s a tendency to wish things were as they once were. What can we do now about this demotion of the arts and humanities here at St. Kate’s?
Well, we as students have a lot more power than we think we do. Take as many classes in these programs as you are able to. Classes in arts and humanities can open your eyes to things you were unaware of. Another easy way that takes less than ten minutes is to fill out the surveys sent to our emails for feedback about classes. Keep your eyes out for these, and stand up for the arts and the humanities when given a chance.
An important concept that I’ve recently heard is the idea of zero-sum. During my interview with Hilden, we discussed this at length. Many people are under the impression that if one group thrives, another group must be suppressed as a result. This idea is a lie. It is entirely possible for everyone, not only in our St. Kate’s community but also in the world, to thrive together. While the healthcare programs at our school thrive, it is also possible for arts and humanities to thrive alongside them.
One of the beautiful things about my classes at St. Kate’s is that there are so many students from different majors. We can all learn so much from each other. There are things to be gained on both sides. Humanities students can learn from non-humanities students and vice versa. It all comes back to the importance of liberal arts.
The well-being of students should be a priority. Hilden claimed, “My hope is that St. Kate’s hangs onto its commitment to the humanities and the arts.” If things continue the way that they have been, then there will be students entering the workforce with little knowledge of anything outside of their field. In order to create well-rounded workers, the arts and humanities departments must remain in the forefront of the university’s priorities.
