LIBERAL-ARTS COLLEGES AND THE MYTH OF UNIQUENESS

This study uses data from synopses of academic mission statements to e xplore the relationship between liberal arts claims and curricula. Des criptive statistics reveal that 68 percent of the colleges promoting a liberal arts mission are dominated by professional disciplines. Multi variate analysis identifies several institutional characteristics that significantly affect the probability of inconsistency between claims and curricula. Explanations for the inconsistency are discussed.