'The original rationale behind an American liberal arts education – to play a vital role in democratizing privilege – "is under attack, or is being forgotten,"

'The original rationale behind an American liberal arts education – to play a vital role in democratizing privilege – "is under attack, or is being forgotten," Robinson said. Now, universities by and large do not attempt to "prepare people for citizenship and democracy."' I would like to know what "original" means here, other than "what I think it should be". Harvard was set up primarily to train clergy. The University of Pennsylvania seemed to teach pretty much everything from the start (if I remember my reading correctly). I would very much question whether Thomas Jefferson had the democratization of privilege in mind when he founded the University of Virginia.