Experiential Education in a Knowledge-Based Economy: Is it Time to Reexamine the Liberal Arts?

During the twenty-first century, the workplace has changed more dramatically than perhaps at any other time in the history of the United States. Today, the ability to create new knowledge is quickly supplanting the importance of manufacturing goods and services. As the world continues to become more complex, more technological, and more competitive, one issue emanating from the literature on higher education is the increasing need for an educated workforce that can meet the demands of a changing economic order. The shift in the economy from a manufacturing base to one with a knowledge foundation is having an impact on higher education in significant ways. Most important, the basic goals and purposes of higher education seem to be in flux. One constant, however, remains true today: colleges and universities can no longer afford the luxury of graduating students ill-prepared for a persistently changing work-place. Education, once an age-specific rite of passage, is now a