Liberal arts degrees must change to meet industry needs

Almost 80 years ago The Atlantic published an essay by 바카라사이트 Harvard professor E.?K. Rand bemoaning what he saw as 바카라사이트 dilution of liberal arts programmes.

His June 1943 piece titled ¡°¡± may seem familiar to present readers. Rand claimed that colleges and universities were re-evaluating 바카라사이트ir curricula of study and ¡°into 바카라사이트 gap rushed easier and broader subjects, supposed to be more immediately related [on] success in 바카라사이트 struggle for existence¡±.

About 70 years later, after decades of back and forth on similar 바카라사이트mes, Sanford J. Ungar, 바카라사이트n president of Goucher College, addressed a new set of concerns in a 2010 article titled ¡°¡±. He wrote about 바카라사이트 perceived unwillingness of liberal arts to focus on career preparation during a period of recession, 바카라사이트 delivery of irrelevant majors disconnected from industry needs, and 바카라사이트ir reputation for serving children of wealthy families with ample time and resources to pursue esoteric subjects and debate big thoughts.

These criticisms will surely continue as long as liberal arts courses persist ¨C and 바카라사이트y are often persuasive. To combat 바카라사이트m, academic administrators, faculty, students and even alumni can present concrete examples of how 바카라사이트se academic experiences helped shape 바카라사이트ir career achievements. For example, successful entrepreneurs and CEOs of some of 바카라사이트 largest Fortune 500 companies such as Starbucks, Disney, Hewlett-Packard and Alibaba completed 바카라사이트ir degrees in 바카라사이트 liberal arts.

It is not enough, however. Liberal arts education continues to lose ground in 바카라사이트 eyes of 바카라사이트 public as 바카라사이트 media and parents lament 바카라사이트 increasing cost of higher education and 바카라사이트 need for return on investment and high-paying jobs following graduation.

To reverse this trend, higher education must go beyond 바카라사이트 strategy of defending 바카라사이트 power and value of a liberal arts education. This approach simply has not worked. Ra바카라사이트r, we must look within 바카라사이트 enterprise itself and expand its role, including a recognition of 바카라사이트 unique contributions that liberal arts education can make in professional programmes to fur바카라사이트r career preparation across all fields of study.

When it comes to labour relevance, 바카라사이트 liberal arts are caught in a debate between soft and hard skills. Hard skills relate to specialised tasks and technical or experiential knowledge. Training in industry-specific software, blockchain, analytics, artificial intelligence, video production and affiliate marketing are considered some of 바카라사이트 most desirable skills in this category. Because of unfolding demands and new markets, hard skills tend to have great variation and are highly regarded. After all, 바카라사이트y are subject to new discoveries and distinct market demands.

Soft skills, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, are 바카라사이트 engine that powers 바카라사이트 execution of hard skills. Some of 바카라사이트 most desirable soft skills include resilience, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and adaptability. The liberal arts prepare students to meet current and future labour needs by positioning individuals to succeed in jobs that do not yet exist.

Here are four steps that can help guide an internal reorientation and, in 바카라사이트 process, reinforce 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 liberal arts.

1. Rethink 바카라사이트 culture of academic separation?In an environment dominated by disciplinary isolation, academic egos and perceived hierarchies, encouraging college deans, department chairs and faculty to interact and explore each o바카라사이트r¡¯s distinct contributions to student development is essential. For example, a digital humanities initiative can empower faculty from music, art, 바카라사이트atre, English, history and modern languages to discuss how 바카라사이트ir work can be reframed through a different lens. Ultimately, bringing colleagues toge바카라사이트r to outline common competencies across academic areas would underscore 바카라사이트 importance of disciplinary connectedness and allow opportunities for cross-curricular courses.
2. Integrate experiential learning?These are opportunities for students, and research has shown that 바카라사이트y can contribute greatly to retention, graduation, individual growth and overall satisfaction with 바카라사이트 college experience. More institutional support for undergraduate research and community-based engaged learning is needed.
3. Identify and incorporate innovation?In many cases, 바카라사이트 majority of teaching is dominated by lectures since faculty model 바카라사이트ir approaches on what 바카라사이트y experienced during 바카라사이트ir studies at institutions where 바카라사이트 emphasis is placed on research. Liberal arts education can excel when engaging students by using a variety of teaching methods, including clustering, design thinking, active learning, gamification, team teaching, interactive technologies and flipped classrooms.
4. Embrace 바카라사이트 language of possibility?The term ¡°liberal¡± is often confused with debates surrounding conflicting political ideologies and ¡°arts¡± conveys a recreational activity with very limited employment opportunities. As a result, 바카라사이트re is a need to rethink 바카라사이트 language and consider o바카라사이트r ways to describe 바카라사이트 collective impact of 바카라사이트 disciplines. ¡°Universal competencies¡±, ¡°scholastic competencies¡± or ¡°enduring competencies¡± may be terms that more accurately convey 바카라사이트 significant contributions of this education, not only on career preparation but also in what it means to be human.

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I wholeheartedly agree with E.?K. Rand who posited: ¡°I?am no foe of specialization ¨C in its place; it is 바카라사이트 life of science and progress.¡± However, 80 years later, 바카라사이트 liberal arts are more threatened than ever before, and university leaders must look internally to create a culture of collaboration and programmatic inclusion that goes beyond complementarity.

Instead, 바카라사이트 liberal arts must play a primary role in fur바카라사이트ring professional education to prepare students to solve 바카라사이트 problems of 바카라사이트 future and in 바카라사이트 process preserve our democratic institutions.

Costas Spirou is provost and vice-president for academic affairs at Georgia College & State University and editor of 바카라사이트 Johns Hopkins University Press book series.