Cornwell to Serve on National Advocacy Group for Liberal Education

Association of American Colleges and Universities Launches "Presidents Trust"

Wooster, Ohio, Nov. 20 – Wooster President Grant Cornwell is one of 82 U.S. college and university leaders participating in a new effort to make the case for liberal education and advance its value in today’s world.  Dubbed the Presidents’ Trust for Liberal Education and America’s Promise, the new group is an initiative of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Through regional and national meetings and their own advocacy efforts, Trust members will engage with campus members and those outside of higher education about the core purposes and practices of liberal education.  Other members of the group include the presidents of Swarthmore, Pomona, Barnard, American University, and the University of Notre Dame.

“Members of the Trust, who come from all kinds of institutions, large and small, two-year and four-year, public and private, will work in concert, within their communities, and nationally, to ensure that the United States renews its commitment to a liberal and liberating education—not just for some students, but for all students,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider.  “In this global century, we want to ensure that college helps all learners develop—across all majors—broad knowledge of the wider world, high-level intellectual and practical skills, a well-developed framework for personal and social responsibility, and the capacity to apply one’s learning to unscripted problems and challenges.” 

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes mentored, independent research. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty adviser to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 students.