The Veritas Forum Why Education is About More Than Grades | Angel Adams Parham & Roosevelt Montás
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Oct 9, 2025 Angel Adams Parham, a sociologist at UVA, and Roosevelt Montás, a Columbia American Studies professor, delve into the deeper purpose of a college education beyond grades. They highlight how liberal arts education fosters meaningful conversations and character development. Parham contrasts restful learning with the pressure of grades, while Montás emphasizes the harm grades can cause to genuine intellectual inquiry. They also discuss the vital role of religious texts in understanding culture and personal meaning, showing how education shapes who we are.
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Liberal Education Is Interpersonal
- Roosevelt Montás says liberal education is an interpersonal, subjective practice that can't be gained solely from books or lectures.
- It requires close, honest interaction and conditions that allow spontaneous collective thinking to emerge.
Cultivate Restful Learning (Skole)
- Angel Adams Parham recommends creating a sense of 'skole'—restful, intrinsic learning that deepens the person rather than chasing grades.
- Balance that ideal with students' realistic pressures and design spaces that minimize grade-driven motivation.
Grades Can Corrupt Learning Goals
- Roosevelt Montás argues grades undermine liberal education by turning measurement into a target (Goodman's Paradox).
- He suggests eliminating grades in liberal education courses to preserve intrinsic motivation.
