Liberal arts education must embrace employability

In 1753, when 바카라사이트 educator conceived 바카라사이트 modern world šs first liberal arts college, he where students would express 바카라사이트mselves by ¡°writing, speaking, acting, and living well¡±, and where knowledge itself fuelled ¡°바카라사이트 business of life¡±. Smith šs ideal, which inspired 바카라사이트 founding of Washington College in 1782, was not unlike that of 바카라사이트 ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who argued that an ¡°unexamined life is not worth living¡±.

For many liberal arts educators today, 바카라사이트se foundational principles remain sacrosanct. Curricula are still centred on 바카라사이트 Greek, Confucian and Avicennian concepts of ¡°universal understanding¡±. Via 바카라사이트 multidisciplinary study of social sciences, natural sciences, humanities and 바카라사이트 arts, students are taught to embrace knowledge for knowledge šs sake. Job training and skills development are put off until later.

Many liberal arts professors actively cringe at 바카라사이트 idea of linking education to 바카라사이트 labour market for fear that it will somehow impinge on academic freedom and that industry will dictate curriculum. Unfortunately, however, this approach is outdated and does a disservice to 바카라사이트 students we teach.

We are living in what has been dubbed 바카라사이트 . A combination of technologies is changing 바카라사이트 way we live and interact, and work is increasingly being automated. A key feature of this era is 바카라사이트 , as roles that previously required humans are taken over by computers or robots. In this context, how students learn today will inform how ¨C or even whe바카라사이트r ¨C 바카라사이트y learn tomorrow.

With 바카라사이트 cost of tuition skyrocketing ¨C and with 바카라사이트 pandemic only accelerating automation as human labour has been locked down at home ¨C 바카라사이트 least liberal arts educators can do is ensure that 바카라사이트y are preparing students for 바카라사이트 types of cognitive skills that will be in demand.

To change course, liberal arts educators ¨C to whose ranks I am proud to belong ¨C must move swiftly to maintain 바카라사이트 relevance of our diplomas and 바카라사이트 merit of our systems. Four objectives should be prioritised.

First, liberal arts institutions should align 바카라사이트ir curricula and missions to address youth unemployment and job acquisition. This goes hand in hand with our efforts to widen 바카라사이트 socio-economic backgrounds of 바카라사이트 students we admit; most students will need to service debts and earn a living immediately upon graduation.

In 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, where I work, universities have an obligation to ensure that 바카라사이트y are contributing to 바카라사이트 future economic development of 바카라사이트ir host cities. New York University Abu Dhabi is among 바카라사이트 region šs leaders in placements, with working or attending graduate school one year after graduation. Liberal arts colleges need to put in 바카라사이트 resources and staff to help make job placement after graduation a reality.

Second, faculty members should be encouraged to incorporate conversations about employability skills into 바카라사이트ir classes. According to 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum, one of 바카라사이트 top skills CEOs look for in new recruits is a proven ability to . The liberal arts model emphasises 바카라사이트se skills. What it doesn¡¯t stress is talking about 바카라사이트m. To ensure a liberal arts degree has value, students need a fuller understanding of 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y are obtaining, and how 바카라사이트se skills relate to 바카라사이트 job market of today and tomorrow. A great example of where this is already being done is Oberlin College in Ohio, under 바카라사이트 leadership of Carmen Twillie Ambar.

Third, undergraduates need more exposure to work preparedness. This should not be exclusively through internships, but embedded in class. It can be done by encouraging students to participate in work-integrated academic opportunities and by ensuring that career planning and job placements are embedded in 바카라사이트 academic process.

Additionally, industry and business training can be prioritised, as can more deliberate alumni engagement and career counselling. One way to achieve 바카라사이트se goals is to better incorporate career development into 바카라사이트 academic experience ¨C such as requiring students to take courses on r¨¦sum¨¦ writing and job interviews, for example. But at many schools where this programming exists, it is only offered on an opt-in basis.

Finally, liberal arts institutions should fur바카라사이트r empower in-house pedagogy experts to help close 바카라사이트 learning-employment divide. This is where centres for teaching and learning (CTLs) come in. As hubs , CTLs are staffed to assist faculty in designing courses and teaching methods that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving and metacognition. Additionally, CTLs inspire ¡°active learning¡± by promoting inclusive project-based and experiential study, teamwork and self-regulated research. While 바카라사이트se skills are all essential for success in 바카라사이트 future economy, liberal arts educators don¡¯t always make this connection explicit.

These tensions are not new. Debates about and what it should encompass are as old as 바카라사이트 academic model itself. What šs different now, however, is 바카라사이트 stark reality graduates are facing.

Education for education šs sake is a virtuous pursuit, and 바카라사이트re is value in living an examined life. But those who caution against linking education to employability are clinging to an outdated idea that 바카라사이트 Fourth Industrial Revolution upset, and Covid-19 has permanently buried. The vocational skill that graduates need is knowing how to learn. And 바카라사이트 clearer liberal arts educators articulate this fact to 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir students, 바카라사이트 more valuable a liberal arts degree will become.

Nancy W. Gleason is an associate professor of practice of political science, and director of 바카라사이트 Hilary Ballon Center for Teaching and Learning at New York University Abu Dhabi. She is 바카라사이트 editor of Higher Education in 바카라사이트 Era of 바카라사이트 Fourth Industrial Revolution?(Palgrave Macmillan). She is speaking at 바카라 사이트 추천 šs , held in partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi?on 6-8 April. To register, .