<p>Dear Readers (and in particular, Freshman Parents) : Today, Tuesday, marks the opening of classes at Boston College for the Fall 2012 term. For many families, today also marks the end of the college “search, selection, application, acceptance” cycle with your move-ins late last week.</p>
<p>Back in 2007, we moved our first of two students onto upper campus. Like many of you, I can still remember that frozen snapshot in time of my oldest standing curbside at Medieros as we were driving away that first time.</p>
<p>I wanted to share a link today from Boston College’s web site. The link recalls this Summer’s sessions and recalls the confidence that many of you might well have felt leaving the campus after orientation.</p>
<p>It is a great read, but I find the comments by Fr. Himes somewhat inconsistent with the story line of the Jesuit College.</p>
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<p>Indeed, I am one of those that says, ‘yes, but’, but for a different reason. Approximately half of BC’s programs are targeted towards what are considered vocational majors. And in academia, vocational majors are not typically associated with intellectual fervor. But vocational majors are good at producing students who are jobs-ready! (Egad.)</p>
<p>Dear bluebayou : Hopefully, you do recall the “interesting conversation partners” presentation, the “three things that make a great university”, and the assertion that the role of a great university is to produce “great intellectuals”. Personally, I remember our first “family” orientation in July 2007 and ironically remember looking forward to the replay in July 2009. Truth be told, the script was not greatly varied, but the sessions were just as impactful. I found the article’s reference to Himes’s lecturing style with hands folded behind his back to be particularly on-point.</p>
<p>Let’s talk about the vocational training concept. Schools that have top named business schools could automatically be classified as “professional” schools; the CSON and LSOE options added atop the CSOM option just underscores the vocational notion.</p>
<p>Remember, we are both CAS parents so we have been exposed to more of the Jesuit education principles (one could argue) with the core that seems to go beyond standard BC requirements. Himes’s does underscore the fact that preparing for a career is important, but that is not the function of a university. In many ways, you are correctly citing the mixed message : “Parents are buying a job path for their children, but the university is about producing intellectuals”. Since it is the parents toting the bill in many cases, who is right?</p>
<p>But why then is ~half of the student body admitted and enrolled into ‘career’ majors? Perhaps ‘preparing for a career’ is the de facto function of the College because that is the programs/majors that they offer? Like any College that has such programs, BC could easily reduce the number of slots in career-style majors. But it chooses not to. BC could broaden its liberal arts student population, but it chooses not to.</p>
<p>btw: And before anyone starts counting heads, I personally include Comm as a career-style majors since Comm is usually found in J-schools, which BC does not have.</p>