NIU liberal arts instructors said discouraging results of a college survey released last week reflect the increasing perception of universities as training grounds for specific professions.

The survey, conducted by the Gallup Organization for the National Endowment for the Humanities, asked 696 college seniors basic historical and literary questions.

Among the results: Only 75 percent knew Columbus arrived in America before 1500; 42 percent could not place the United States’ Civil War between 1850 and 1900; and 23 percent identified a Karl Marx phrase as being in the U.S. Constitution. Overall, 75 percent would have received a D or failed the test.

“We do not educate to educate, we educate to get over hurdles,” said Joe Birchfield, associate history professor. “Education is lumped into a ‘gen ed’ program to be gotten over as painlessly as possible in the first couple of years.”

NIU is one of the 38 percent of colleges and universities that do not require history for graduation, and one of the 45 percent that do not require American or English literature, except in the related majors or minors. NIU offers 13 history and five literature courses in the distributive studies area of the graduation requirements.

The lack of importance given to, and knowledge of, the humanities by college seniors who are training for their chosen profession is contrary to more and more studies today which conclude that those being promoted to middle-management and above have a strong liberal arts background.

James Norris, dean of the college of liberal arts and sciences, said companies are interested in those that “know how to learn.”

Another problematic view is one of a culturally ignorant society ill-prepared to deal with today’s and tomorrow’s global problems.

“What is threatened is the ability to perform that kind (preservation of the human species) of function,” said Otto Olson, chairman of NIU’s history department.

The great literary works with which those surveyed had particular trouble, “tell us about ourselves” said J.I. Miller, director of undergraduate studies in NIU’s English department.

“It is very important for education that one make an attempt to understand oneself,” said Miller. “We are a result of what has preceded us, in our country, and what has preceded this country in Europe.”

Miller said the lack of concern for our origins and their importance have led to some of today’s problems. Miller said the countries that were forced into unconditional surrender at the end of World War II are “arguably in better shape than we (the United States) are,” citing as evidence the foreign hold on the American auto market.

Miller said with a better cultural background, Americans would be “less likely to be surprised and more likely to anticipate,” international problems.

Birchfield said today’s “smorgasboard education” is a holdover from the “upheaval of the 60s to make education relevant.”