A key goal of COPLAC is to communicate the importance of a liberal arts education. This page serves as a forum for presenting papers on different aspects of the liberal arts experience.

Some of the papers presented below require Adobe Acrobat to open. Click on the icon for a free software download.

Edwin Battistella of Southern Oregon University responded recently to a New York Times article, "Rural Colleges Seek New Edge and Urbanize." Should the links expire (or if you would prefer not to have to register with the New York Times, here is a text version of the article and subsequent letter.

"Off the Beaten Path" - New York Times reporter Randal Archibold suggests many lesser-known campuses, including three COPLAC schools, excel in undergraduate teaching and 'in some ways are more three-dimensional' than their big-name counterparts. Site may require free registration; click here for a text-only version of the article which will remain should the original link expire.

Julius E. Erlenbach on education cuts in the Wisconsin Daily Telegram.

Commencement Remarks by President Elizabeth Zinser, June 11, 2005, Southern Oregon University

"The Case for Academic Freedom." Op Ed by Les Purce, March 28, 2005, in The Olympian

Les Purce editorial on the GI Bill, November 17, 2004, in The Olympian

"Information Liberacy: Educational Transformatink Standards, and Best Practices,"
by Craig Gibson, Associate University Librarian, Public Services, George Mason University, during COPLAC 2004 Conference

"COPLAC Past, Present, & Future: Unexpected Obligations & Opportunities for Public Liberal Arts Colleges," by David G. Brown, during COPLAC 2004 Conference

An excerpt from a speech by Washington State Gov. Gary Locke
during the dedication of a new building at The Evergree State College

"The Art of Leadership" in The Seattle Times
by Thomas E. Cronin, Special to The Times

Liberal Arts Colleges and the Well-Prepared Teacher
Allen H. Berger, University of Maine at Farmington

The Educational Power of our Human Diversity
Gordon E. Michalson, Jr., New College of Florida