Why Notre Dame still believes in the liberal arts

July 30, 2026

Barbara Josenhans


A photo of Kenneth Scheve with his name on the bottom left corner, the For Good Stories logo on the top left, and a photo of a Notre Dame building

In an age of artificial intelligence, rapid change, and global uncertainty, Kenneth Scheve ’90, the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, believes the liberal arts are not becoming less relevant—they are becoming more essential. At Notre Dame, he’s building on the University’s tradition of educating both the heart and the mind while preparing students to think deeply, engage new ideas, and lead with purpose.

Join us for this episode of For Good as Dean Scheve reflects on the enduring role of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame, the College’s growing commitment to global education and research that serves the common good, and why a liberal arts education remains one of the best foundations for leadership and service in a changing world.

New episodes of For Good: Stories from Notre Dame drop on select weekdays at giving.nd.edu/stories and the ND Loyal YouTube channel. You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

A sincere thank you to the Notre Dame family for making stories like these possible! It’s because of you that Notre Dame is such a powerful force for good in the world.

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