A Research On Entrepreneurship Education In Liberal Arts Colleges In The United States

Liberal Arts Colleges(LACs)in the United States have been developed for nearly 400 years in the United States.Without any doubt,with a history of several hundred years,they have been shaped their own a complete education system and formed their own unique organizational saga in higer education.With libera arts,these insititutions attempt to broden their students' humanistic vision and knowledge base.Traditionally,LACs that are often small,emphasize on liberal arts,carry on residential system,as well as provide undergradutes with excellent undergraduate education,are regarded as “Hidden Ivies” and “Best Example of Undergraduate Education”.What's more,they convey many excellent students to Graduate School of Research Universities in the U.S.and prepare students to be leaders in all areas,who will constitute the main force in society.Before the mid-19 th century,LACs had been always occupying the dominant position of the higher education system in the U.S.,however,with pragmatism,utilitarianism orientation,vocational education and the growing popularity of professional education as well as the real conditions of marketization of higher education,LACs faced some impacts and challenges in their development.If they couldn't save these problems in time,the problems would evolve into the severe crises of theirs.Therefore,under the double pressures from the changing external environment and internal development demands,LACs are bound to make adjustments and take some measures in order to gain more living space and opportunities for development,one of transformational changes is refered to entrepreneurship education in LACs.At present,undergraduate colleges and universities in our country are undergoing an importanton transformation,and they are facing some similar issues like liberal arts colleges in the U.S..Hence,this research can provide some reference and useful implications for us.This research mainly adopts the literature method and case study method,from the four dimensions of history of revolution,reasons for change,implementing pathways and their influence,this paper aims to analyze and think about entrepreneurship education in LACs from its appearence to results.Based on realistic background,the researcher would take a more objective view on LACs' transformational change in the face of the external challenge.Then,it would prove that liberal arts education and entrepreneurship education can work together and promote each other's development through cases from university-wide entrepreneurship education in five colleges from northeast Ohio as well as university-wide social entrepreneurship education at Middlebury College.Finally,the researcher concluded that entrepreneurship education in LACs was in the view of the realistic consideration,in turn,its results had rich meaning beyond reality.Futhermore,with a combination of practical experience of entrepreneurship education in American LACs,this paper designed to put forward suggestions for our country in the process of transforming undergraduate colleges and unverisities on theory and practice,which was eventually created.