STEM In America

There is an ongoing debate over the primary implication of STEM programs in higher education. The STEM program will focus on getting students involved in fields concerning science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The trend highlights an idea of cutting Liberal Arts’ funding to promote the implication of fields viewed as beneficial to the nation’s everyday life (STEM fields). If the trend continues creative minds will conform to fit in and we may lose one of a kind ideas found in Universities across the country. So, let us ask a question money can not answer, what should the future of academia look like in America?

Everyone in America seems to have a strong opinion on ways to make money. Most well rounded individuals will argue that

Ray (2013), the President of Oregon State University, “the liberal arts are critical to the success in every economic sector” (Ray, 2013). While careers in STEM are vital to the function of our society, there is clear evidence that having a good background in the arts can assist any career that you chose to pursue. Skills such as teamwork, cultural sensitivity, demographics and differences in political or socioeconomic perspectives provide a strong grounding for interpersonal communication. The importance of incorporating these fields of study into our society is so that we don’t forget our ethic grounding, and be able to think critically and wisely when proposing solutions to world problems. The irony of it all is that the liberal arts were stressed in times of antiquity so that people could actively contribute meaningful merit to society; the study of the humanities, astronomy, science and math were all incorporated to make a well-rounded person and that is the same purpose of the liberal arts today. There is great historical and scholastic value in the arts so to rid our society of them would be

So how can we get STEM and the liberal arts to come together? A reasonable solution would be to combine fields creating careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). This can be done by incorporating the arts into these fields. Take for example the field of architecture or environmental engineering. Architecture involves incorporating the physics of building and mathematical models of design with artistic style to create homes, businesses and corporations. Environmental engineers/ ecological engineers focus on helping maintain a healthy environment as a result of increases in populations, technological advances and governmental regulations by designing homes for animals, or creating projects that will help improve the environment. Another great way to experience the importance of both the liberal arts and technology would be to study abroad. Observing the lives of other people in both first world and third world countries will allow students the opportunity to see just how much impact something as simple as clean water, a decent education or dance classes can change other people’s lives. You can’t just focus on what’s going on in one country because we’re all interconnected. For this reason, funding for the liberal arts shouldn’t be cut to invest into STEM; instead, there should be equal funding for all types of majors because they are all important. We need educators to teach basic principles of the natural world, we need