•June 3, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

There are 4,000 degree-granting colleges and universities in our nation: community colleges, private liberal arts colleges, regional and urban public universities, and graduate research centers. I have taught within each type; each has its strengths and makes distinctive contributions to society.
Yet I have a soft spot in my heart for the liberal arts college, of which there are 700-800 in the U.S. With 500-2,000 students each, the schools offer a personal approach rarely found elsewhere. Rather than specialize the mind, these schools broaden and enlarge the mind.
Illinois has more than its share of these colleges, from Rockford down to McKendree in Lebanon. They were often started in the 19th century by Yankee ministers who believed in the civilizing influence of higher education, and before the development of public colleges.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.