TOW #26 Science at Liberal Arts Colleges: A Better Education? (Thomas Cech)

Thomas Cech presents his take on liberal arts v. research university science education.

     Deep in the college search, I've come across a division in college education for degrees in science/engineering. Liberal arts colleges and major research universities both offer successful programs for students with totally different experiences. In this article, Thomas Cech, a Nobel Laureate and professor at the University of Colorado, compares the two options. His purpose is to support the liberal arts education (which he received) and to advocate that it (think Swarthmore, Williams, Pomona) is just as effective, if not more so, than more famous research institutions (think Harvard, Berkeley, MIT). He aims the article at prospective students like me who are weighing the value of different programs and probably enticed by the prestige of large universities.

     Cech begins the essay with an anecdote of his experience graduating from a tiny liberal arts school called Grinnel College and pursuing a PhD at one of the largest research schools in the world: UC Berkeley. This provides a personal touch to the essay; Cech is already extremely successful, so relating back to his formative years as a scientist captures the attention of his audience. As he assures the reader that we had received a high-quality education and was well-prepared for higher research, Cech effectively introduces his argument and establishes his ethos because he has clearly studied in both forms of science school.

     Cech's argument progresses with the introduction of a statistical analysis paired with logical conclusions (you can barely tell that he's a laboratory chemist). He begins by explaining the value of looking at the percentages of students who go on to earn PhDs in their respective fields as an accurate measure of the success for the college. He then provides data in tables that is readily understood and compared, which he further analyzes to show that liberal arts colleges produce as many PhD students as a percentage of their total enrollment, which indicates the success of such programs.

     Cech finally presents information in a strictly logical format which he uses to draw conclusions. He presents the assertion that research universities depend on their grants and research to hold their prestige. He then presents the argument that they would prefer graduate students to carry out this vital research, whereas liberal arts colleges only have their pool of undergraduates to give such experience to. By progressing logically, Cech offers up a sound argument.

     Cech clearly knows what he's talking about and does a great job establishing his credibility and logical arguments. The article was very rhetorically effective.