Sean Decatur, an emerging national leader in higher education, became the nineteenth president of Kenyon College on July 1, 2013. A champion of the liberal arts, President Decatur earned a bachelor's degree at Swarthmore College and a doctorate in biophysical chemistry at Stanford University.
The combination of rigorous work in STEM subjects with the rich context of a broader liberal arts education develops students’ ability to see complex issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
We do not have to choose between the right to have a voice and the right to belong in society, and any narrative that suggests that we do lacks imagination, courage or both.
Liberal arts education is rooted in preparation for citizenship; in the 21st century, we should aim toward a vision of inclusive citizenship, where everyone in the community shares equal rights to and responsibility for ensuring civility, respect for difference and a sense of belonging.
Rigorous examination of one’s place in the universe, working to gain new insight and understanding, are precisely the types of activities that should happen at a college.
