Presiding: CARY NATHENSON, University of Chicago
Presenters: STEVEN LAYMON, University of Chicago; EMILY C. RICHARDSON, Widener University

      Building on the conversations started during the pre-conference workshop on liberal arts and continuing education, this session explores the “real world” value of humanities education in our context. Our premise is that liberal learning is generally held to be good and valuable to our society at all levels, and yet the arguments supporting humanities programming seem tepid and vague, at best. Continuing studies programs face particular challenges integrating humanities education into a broader context for their typically separate audiences of degree-completion undergraduates, professional students, and lifelong learners. This panel will share some specific examples of these challenges and opportunities, but more than that, we hope to foster a larger and ongoing discussion about the role the Community of Practice and UCEA could/should play in advancing liberal learning.