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Universities do more than just prepare students for jobs
Daily Camera
by Jessica Weinkle
April 13, 2014
The beginning of the fall semester and the end of spring semester are inspiring times in college towns. Students and parents look towards the future and busily prepare and hope for the opportunities that come with a college or university degree.
However, in recent years, universities have come under criticism for inadequately preparing students for employment. Most recently, the international magazine, The Economist, questioned whether or not college is “worth it” given the substantial debt that many students accrue during their college career. Personally, I hear the criticisms most often as frustrations from recent graduates who feel that as a student they did not learn relevant job skills or gain useful certifications.
It is reasonable that in current economic times public policy makers and citizens question the costs and benefits of a university education. While American families struggle to afford the cost of higher education, students rely on Federal financial aid programs. Current estimates of student loan debt held by the government hang around $1 trillion.
Criticisms that higher education does not provide the employment opportunities expected arise from misplaced expectations of colleges and universities. In general, institutions of higher education are not designed to simply train workers to get jobs. Instead, they are designed to bring awareness to the nexus of societal need and human knowledge.
That universities’ contribute to enlightened understanding of the citizenry so that they may better participate in public decision-making is evident in college towns, such as Boulder, where the community is active in proposing new ideas, technologies and solutions to the world’s most pressing social problems.
Consider that the University of Colorado Boulder is led by a set of visions and initiatives called Flagship 2030, that emphasizes, “Collaborating on solutions,” “Pursuing knowledge,” and “Forging new kinds of partnerships” amongst other things. Read more …
