REDEFINING 21ST CENTURY LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION
Thirty years ago, the entrepreneur and visionary philanthropist Eugene M. Lang established a liberal arts college at The New School, a university loved by Mr. Lang and known around the world for its progressive ideals.
In the early years, an entering class at Eugene Lang College was 50 students, and total enrollment hovered at 200 students. This year’s entering class of 350 freshmen and 70 transfers saw the largest applicant pool in Lang’s history. It now enrolls 1,500 students.
Its mission, however, has remained unchanged from the charge given by Mr. Lang in 1985: a rigorous liberal arts curriculum that taps the vitality of New York City, taught by excellent, dedicated faculty who are leaders in their fields, for students who are mentored intellectually and supported financially.
Engaged learning of the kind Mr. Lang envisioned is now widely understood as fundamental to student growth, but at many institutions engagement remains at the periphery of the academic core. This is not true at Lang, where academic rigor and engagement are deeply intertwined. It believes both are essential to excellence.