A Relevant Questioning of the Relevance of Education

Ms. Kate Zernike, in an interesting article in the NYT, "Making College ‘Relevant’" provides some interesting data points--- "...The University of Louisiana, Lafayette, is eliminating its philosophy major, while Michigan State University is doing away with American studies and classics, after years of declining enrollments in those majors. And in a class called “The English Major in the Workplace,” at the University of Texas, Austin, students read “Death of a Salesman” but also learn to network, write a résumé and come off well in an interview...Career advisers say that colleges and universities need to do a better job helping students understand the connection between a degree and a job. At some institutions, this means career officers are heading into the classroom.Last fall at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the career office began integrating workplace lessons into capstone research seminars for humanities majors. In one of three classes taught by Anne Scholl-Fiedler, the director, she asks students to develop a 30-second commercial on their “personal brand.” “When somebody asks, ‘How are you going to use that English degree?’ you need to be able to clearly articulate what you are able to do,” she says. “If you don’t know, employers probably won’t either.” At the University of Texas, Ms. Brooks says, many parents drop their children off freshman year asking, “How can my child transfer to the business school?” She tries to establish the value of the liberal arts with a series of courses called “The Major in the Workplace.” Students draw what she calls a “major map,” an inventory of things they have learned to do around their major. Using literature — “The Great Gatsby,” perhaps, or “Death of a Salesman” — she gets students to think about how the themes might apply to a workplace, then has them read Harvard Business Review case studies. The goal, she says, is to get students to think about how an English major (or a psychology or history major) might view the world differently, and why an employer might value that.“There’s this linear notion that what you major in equals your career,” Ms. Brooks says. “I’m sure it works for some majors. If you want to be an electrical engineer, that major looks pretty darn good.“The truth is,” she says, “students think too much about majors. But the major isn’t nearly as important as the toolbox of skills you come out with and the experiences you have.”"

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A key point that is lost in this argument. Certain areas of knowledge can be viewed as laying the foundation for the development of an educated and participative member of society. These areas, including philosophy, the classics, math, etc. may not be popular enough to justify having separate departments at every college. Schools should pool together the resources and achieve economies of scale. A philosophy department could offer courses that can be taken by students from multiple schools, for credit that transfers easily. The importance of these areas implies that innovative solutions be sought to deliver the knowledge in a cost-effective way.

Higher Education...needs to be really "higher"

Had an interesting discussion with a friend adn colleague about higher education and transparency. Many faculty members take the easy way out, but there are some, like my friend, who expect a lot of out themselves and their students. He, like me, makes all previous exams and other material available to the students. Both of us also work hard in creating evaluations that allow for discrimination of students' abilities. We have to expect much higher level of performance from ourselves before asking that of students.

No Conflict Here

NYT reported today that "The owner of two research hospitals affiliated with the Harvard Medical School has imposed restrictions on outside pay for two dozen senior officials who also sit on the boards of pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. The limits come in the wake of growing criticism of the ties between industry and academia.."

Honoring the Honor Students- Providing a Badge of Excellence

Grade Inflation is a hot topic among academicians. It has a number of effects, one of which is that it makes more students eligible for membership in honor societies. SOme of my students have been invited to join so many that they have asked me if it is worth paying the dues to all the societies. The NYT has an interesting article on the topic- As Honor Students Multiply, Who Really Is One?
In one of the courses I aught this fall, I told the students that A stood for excellence and B for above average, and in a large population, only half the students should be above the median- A or B. One of the students gave me a bad rating on "Rate My Professors" site and commented that "He is a horrible professor and it tactics make no sense...you'll work the hardest youve ever worked in a class and still get a c." Of course, with her writing skills, she should be happy that she got a C. On the other hand, another student wrote that "Best teacher I've ever had! I loved his class. He is hilarious and extremely knowledgeable of interesting information. A very enjoyable class." Sometimes, tougher standards are appreciated.