A combination of forces in American higher education has resulted in the transformation of professors from teachers concerned with their students' characters and minds to professional scholars committed more to their specific disciplines than to teaching or the life of the academic institutions where they hold their appointments. As the pace of change quickens, the life span of an education decreases. Only by obtaining an education that is generic will individuals be able to remain current. A liberal arts education is not subject to the whim of the moment. It is an education for all time.
Small colleges emphasize values.
This stems partly from the religious heritage of many small liberal arts colleges but it is not exclusively their domain. The shaping of values permeates most small colleges. Thus, how a person in latter life acts as a citizen, treats a spouse, and selects from among alternatives is a function of that person's values. Positive values are most readily absorbed in an environment where the common good is paramount. Small colleges provide students with significant opportunities to become involved in activities that foster individual maturation.