Kinesiology in the Liberal Arts

Abstract

Until recently, physical education and the liberal arts have taken divergent courses. The resurgence of the field as a cross-disciplinary study of human movement may revitalize the position of kinesiology in the liberal arts college. This paper assesses the nature of the liberal arts in higher education and suggests ways a kinesiology curriculum may be honed to the specifications of that model. The question of curricular centrality is a vital issue, particularly in times of recessionary budgets. Until a program of study reflects the knowledge objectives and imparts the skills dear to its parent institution, it will remain endangered. As the American Academy of Physical Education and others succeed in pushing open the window of opportunity, we may be greeted by a fresh breeze of intellectual integrity; institutions, each espousing their unique goals, may seek common ground and mutual growth.