Frey Lecture Explores The Value and Meaning of a Liberal Education
Jennifer Frey, professor of philosophy at the University of Tulsa, has seen the transformational power of a liberal education in the testimonials of her students, who have shared how that education has challenged and shaped them.
Frey visited Colgate and delivered a lecture, “Liberal Learning and the Idea of a University,” on Nov. 7 — part of a series of events in celebration of the Kraynak Institute for the Study of Freedom and Western Traditions, honoring Founding Director Robert Kraynak, professor of political science, and recognizing the 20th anniversary of the former Center for Freedom and Western Civilization.
Frey contends there is more to a liberal educational foundation than training for a life of work, whether the intellectual work of a professor or the practical work of an engineer.
“No matter what career you choose in life, you still have to know what your work is for and what your money is for, and what you are living for,” Frey said. “And if you’re never trained to ask and answer the question of what it's for, if we never let ourselves wonder in a disciplined and serious way about who and what we are, where we’re going, and why we're going there, then we are not fully free and our free time becomes nothing more than a brief restorative period that allows us to get back to work more efficiently and productively.”
Read more about Frey's visit to Colgate and watch her full lecture below:
Summer Research Fellowships
The Kraynak Institute for the Study of Freedom and Western Traditions sponsors up to 13 students for Summer Fellowships to pursue faculty-mentored summer research projects focused on themes related to the Institute’s priorities.
Awards & Scholarships
James (JP) Conrad ’25 is the 2025 recipient of the Brian Horey ’82 Civic Freedom Award.