But there is no reason for even those students who get a more technical education to not read the Classics on their own. Do they really need a professor expounding on the 'meaning' of what they've read? They could always read critiques, if they wanted someone to tell them what to think of the piece. They could also enjoy the Arts on their own, attending concerts, plays, etc, if they are so inclined.
When the price of a college education begins to fall, you might see more students spending more time on the Classics and the Arts.
great points
Bring back the Lyceum... or whatever those were called
Sorry, but I don't agree with you.
I was a physics major as an undergraduate. By some quirk of academia, we physics majors had to get a BA, while the chemistry majors could get a BS. That meant I had to cram in a lot of liberal arts courses in addition to the science & math courses I needed, while the chemistry majors didn't.
I'll be forever grateful for that academic quirk. I had to take courses in literature, composition, history, economics, and other "liberal arts" studies in which the professor, who was a lifetime student of his topic and loved it, guided us through those subjects and explained them in the depth that I'd probably never have found on my own. Yes, you can read those things, but having them explained by someone who has really studied them makes a big difference.
As it turned out, my literature courses consisted almost entirely of prose writers, not poets. For a while after my first wife died, I dated a professor of English literature. I tried reading a book by her favorite poet (yes, I wanted to impress her). I didn't get much out of it until she practically led me by the hand through it and unpacked the poetry. Having a guide makes all the difference in the world.
In reality that's no different from science or math. I defy anyone to read a book on Advanced Calculus and get much out of it without the guidance of a knowledgeable professor.