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Liberal arts education and the real world
Rod Smolla
In an op-ed for The Greenville News, Furman president Rod Smolla writes that “liberal college education is not disconnected from meaningful and productive jobs, callings or careers. To the contrary, it is often the gateway, the qualifier, the ticket—and not just as a hollow credential, but because of the substance that education provides. A liberal education is insurance against obsolescence, equipping our youth with the tools to evolve as conditions constantly change.”
Before joining Furman as president in 2010, Smolla was dean of the Washington and Lee School of Law, dean of the University of Richmond School of Law, and director of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law at the College of William & Mary. He is an expert on free expression and academic freedom, and he has argued before state and federal courts around the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Smolla is the author of numerous books, including Free Speech in an Open Society and The Constitution Goes to College.