Kentucky State University is the Commonwealth's unique public liberal studies institution.
Liberal studies comprise the traditional subjects of the arts and sciences, such as mathematics, poetry, history, politics, literature, languages, fine arts, philosophy, psychology, chemistry, and economics.
Subject matter alone, however, exhausts neither the meaning of liberal studies nor of a liberal studies education. A liberal studies education and preparation for a career or a profession are obviously not mutually exclusive. Whether one is a pre-engineering or an English major, a pre-medical or pre-law student, a computer science student or someone interested in a career in teacher education or business management, Kentucky State University best serves those students, who, regardless of their long-range goals, seek to think for themselves. Such students are those who wish to think clearly, to argue persuasively, to write with clarity and liveliness, and to gain both a cultural and historical perspective on the human experience as well as an in-depth knowledge in at least one area of human thought. Liberal studies spark curiosity and broaden vision. Liberal studies education provides the tools by which people come to understand the world, one another, and themselves.
In short, liberal studies develop independent and critical thinking. More critical than the development of specialized skills, the development of independent thinking is the foundation for personal growth. The possession of specific skills, however important they may be, is insufficient if one is unable to confront life changes with resourcefulness and clarity of thought. Job skills change with the passing of time and the shifting demands of industry; however, the ability to think for oneself is the governing resource of truly educated individuals.
In a 1983 speech at Kentucky State University, Edwin Delattre, then president of St. John’s College, spoke of the power of liberal education in these words:
Minds can be shackled by laws against education, by parental indifference, by propaganda, by distinction, and in a thousand other ways. Worst of all, people can enslave, enshackle, victimize their own minds, without any help from anyone else. It happens all the time, and you can see the marks, the wounds and scars, of these shackles every day, everywhere, if you know what to look for. It is often very hard, though, to see or feel these shackles inside oneself.
Liberal education—liberating education—is the kind which ferrets out these shackles, seeks to open them where they exist, and prevent them where they do not. Education of this sort must be earned, because it comes with persistence and effort. Ultimately, liberal studies requires the courage to follow a question persistently and resourcefully wherever it might lead. At Kentucky State University, education is the daily pursuit of intellectual and moral maturity by students, faculty, and staff.
Education of this sort must be earned, because it comes with persistence and effort. Ultimately, liberal studies requires the courage to follow a question persistently and resourcefully wherever it might lead. At Kentucky State University, education is the daily pursuit of intellectual and moral maturity by students, faculty, and staff.
In order to make the goals of liberal studies at Kentucky State University clear and specific, the faculty has adopted a set of twelve liberal studies learning outcomes. After completing the general education requirements at Kentucky State University, students will be expected to demonstrate the ability:
Students must have effective library skills as well as the ability to use electronic information retrieval systems, including the computer and online resources.
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