<p>idad, simply superb post that strikes to the heart of controversial issues embedded in this report, and others like it that attempt to grapple with the thorny public policy issues related to "the aim of a college education" and "what really matters in regard to a liberal education (to wit - George Leef's policy papers that I have posted in other threads). The joy of learning and rewards of critical thinking espoused by Abbot - and the need for a core curriculum that embodies these qualities are indeed what "successful" higher education is all about. This report touches directly on Abbot's assertion that education is not about content or skills but is a habit or stance of mind. Yes, indeed, but it seems to me that this report wants us to see content and skills as indivisible from habit and stance of mind.</p>
<p>This fundamental notion of liberal education is evident in the short snippet MarathonMan's quoted in his last post. The call here is to bolster a broad liberal education precisely because only this approach to higher education can prepare a student to confront a world in which work skills and pragmatic demands are constantly changing - a position that all in all does not at all contradict the U. of Chicago's philosophy. </p>
<p>These passages are from the full pdf version of the report:</p>
<p>"The world around us is being dramatically reshaped by scientific and technological innovations, global interdependence, cross-cultural encounters, and changes in the balance of economic and political power. Only a few years ago, Americans envisioned a future in which this nation would be the world?s only superpower. Today it is clear that the United States?and individual
Americans?will be challenged to engage in unprecedented ways with the global community, collaboratively and competitively. These seismic waves of dislocating change will only intensify. The world in which today?s students will make choices and compose lives is one of disruption rather than certainty, and of interdependence rather than insularity. To succeed in a chaotic environment, graduates will need to be intellectually resilient, cross-culturally and scientifically literate, technologically adept, ethically anchored, and fully prepared for a future of continuous and cross-disciplinary learning. Learning
about cultures and social structures dramatically different from one?s own is no longer a matter just for specialists. Intercultural learning is already one of the new basics in a contemporary liberal education, because it is essential for work, civil society, and social life. Scientific and technological learning are equally fundamental and may well determine the difference between those who are prepared to deal with change and those who are buffeted by it.
narrow Learning Is not Enough The general public?and many college students?continue to believe that choosing a ?marketable? college major is the key to future economic opportunity. Guided by this conviction, many students see study in their major field as the main point of college, and actively resist academic requirements that push them toward a broader education. </p>
<p>Many policy makers hold a similar view of career preparation, evidenced by their support for occupational colleges and programs that promise initial job readiness but not much else. Those who endorse narrow learning are blind to the realities of the new global economy. Careers themselves have become volatile. </p>
<p>"The world in which today?s
students will make choices
and compose lives is one
of disruption rather than
certainty, and of interdependence
rather than insularity." </p>
<p>From the American Century to the Global Century</p>
<p>Studies already show that Americans change jobs ten times in the
two decades following college, with such changes even more frequent
for younger workers.19 Moreover, employers are calling with new
urgency for graduates who are broadly prepared and who also possess
the analytical and practical skills that are essential both for innovation
and for organizational effectiveness:
? ?Employers do not want, and have not advocated for, students
prepared for narrow workforce specialties. . . . Virtually all
occupational endeavors require a working appreciation of
the historical, cultural, ethical, and global environments that
surround the application of skilled work.? (Roberts T. Jones,
president, Education Workforce Policy, LLC)20
? ?Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett has said that 90 percent of
the products his company delivers on the final day of each year
did not exist on the first day of the same year. To succeed in that
kind of marketplace, U.S. firms need employees who are flexible,
knowledgeable, and scientifically and mathematically literate.?
(Norman R. Augustine, retired chairman and chief executive of
Lockheed Martin Corporation)21
? ?[The] curriculum needs to help students develop . . . leadership,
teamwork, problem solving, time management, communication
and analytical thinking.? (Business-Higher Education Forum)22
? ?[Business leaders are] frustrated with their inability to find ?360
degree people?. . . .? (Findings from 2006 focus groups among
business executives)23
? ?Integrated capabilities are the key to this industry?s future.?
(Keith Peden, senior vice president of human resources,
Raytheon Company, 2006)24 </p>
<p>Using a business rather than an academic vocabulary, employers are
urging more?and better?liberal education, not less. Because employers
view innovation as their most important comparative advantage,
they seek to hire graduates who can think beyond the routine, and
who have the ability not just to adapt to change, but to help create it.
Responding to employer concerns, the engineering community is
already pioneering the approach to a twenty-first-century liberal education
recommended in this report. The engineers? goal is to graduate
what some are calling ?T-shaped students,? with the vertical part of the
?T? representing the traditional parts of an engineering degree, and
the crossbar pointing to competencies traditionally identified with the
?liberal arts??including ethics, global knowledge, intercultural literacy,
and strong communication and collaborative skills (see fig. 4). The ?T?
itself shows that these different capabilities need to be integrated so that
students can apply them in work and community settings.
Humanists may see similar potential in the letter ?H,? where the
crossbar represents field-specific knowledge and skills and the vertical
bars represent capacities related to context and community. Whatever
the model, the message to students is the same. Employers do not want
?toothpick? graduates who have learned only the technical skills... </p>
<p>EMPLOYERS? VIEWS
?At State Farm, only 50 percent of high school and college graduates who apply for a job pass the employment exam?. Our exam does not test applicants on their knowledge of finance or the insurance business but it does require them to demonstrate critical thinking skills and the ability to calculate and think logically. These skills plus the ability to read for information, to communicate and write effectively, and to have an understanding of global integration need to be demonstrated. This isn?t just what employers want; it?s also what employees need if they are to be successful in navigating the workplace.?
?Edward B. Rust Jr., chairman and CEO,
State Farm Insurance Companies </p>
<p>?To be successful in global companies like Siemens, business managers must
be able to navigate local market differences, seek opportunities for collaboration between businesses, and promote cooperation across functions. A solid foundation in the liberal arts and sciences is necessary for those who
want to be corporate leaders.?
?George C. Nolen, president and CEO,
Siemens Corporation, New York </p>
<p>"Using a business rather than an academic vocabulary, employers are urging
more?and better?liberal education, not less.? "</p>