Question 1
Liberal thinkers are boundary crossers. They not only cross cultural, political, and disciplinary boundaries, but they also cross occupational boundaries because knowledge and skills are portable. I have already asked you to consider the types of research certain occupations engage in; now, let us consider how the skills and knowledge used in one profession can enhance or benefit another profession. For example, what can a police officer and librarian teach one another? A police officer can teach a librarian how to better enforce library policies. The librarian, on the other hand, can teach a police officer how to better organize and file his or her police reports. Your task here is to choose THREE examples of different pairs and in 2-3 sentences each, discuss what the combinations of people could teach one another. You can either identify your own combinations (preferably ones you have first-hand experience with) OR choose from the following list of combinations: a bus driver and comedian, a beautician and insurance agent, a kindergarten teacher and software programmer, or an artist and archeologist. You may also split your examples between the ones provided here and ones that you identify yourself.
Question 2
Please write a reflection on the readings “How Successful Leaders Think” and “A Whack on the Side of the Head.” Think about the articles’ relevance to the things you’ve learned in this course, as well as their relevance to your personal and professional aspirations. Given the broad implication of the readings, you don’t need to have a business focus for the points to have any relevance to you—these points can easily be transferred into a discussion about any industry. Write a 150-200 word response that addresses specific issues or questions mentioned. Please don’t simply summarize the articles, but instead, focus on issues that interest you within both readings. Do you find them useful or meaningful in any way? Feel free to draw upon examples from other class content to emphasize some of your points or to create connections.
Question 3
Now that you are at the end of this course, how would you describe it? An intellectual history of western thought? Yes. A “how to” course on developing new ideas and generating inspiration? Perhaps. A writing-intensive course that gave you the opportunity to write about a variety of topics and from the perspectives of a 17th century Enlightenment figure, museum curator, and social scientist? Absolutely. As an introduction to liberal studies course there is so much to discuss, but so little time in which to do it! As this coursework took you from one way of thinking to another, I hope you at least felt that satisfying sensation of a “mental burn” as you exercised your intellect.
For this final question, I would like you to look back on the semester and reflect on your journey. Review the objectives on the first page of the syllabus and identify the ones you feel you most strongly mastered. In what modules do you feel you found your biggest strengths? What modules offered you the opportunity to take the biggest risks and challenge yourself? Briefly revisit the module materials and identify signs of academic growth over the last few weeks (be specific). Are you thinking differently? What are you doing differently? Have your feelings and perceptions of the nature and value of liberal studies changed or evolved? (150 word minimum)
