The tension that Boyer discusses in his chapter is the tension between STEM and the Liberal arts. Boyer believes that there is a need for both STEM and the liberal arts to have a civil and functional community. “Each side needs somehow to be convinced that they are working for similar objectives” (Boyer). These to paths, STEM and liberal arts are both out to set up students for succeed and both are crucial to the economy.  

Boyer’s enriched model is encouraging students to go deeper than what they are learning in the classroom. He thinks students should explore the field in depth and get out in the world and receive actual experiences in a certain field. He imagens this as a counter to the key tension because both fields, STEM and liberal arts should follow this model and these ideals.