Could the traditional model of the liberal arts college, which had been celebrated for the past few centuries, simply continue on its way without a makeover, or does Brandeis University, in its announcement that it must do exactly that, mean that this is a particularly difficult time for young students to be wondering whether the price of a college education is going to be worth the cost?
However, in this serene environment of the Brandeis library, Miriam Grodin, who is classified as a junior, embarks on an altogether different journey by undertaking job shadowing as the publication house of this university. “I love to read. I love to write. I know that I want to get into the world of book publishing, but I feel like it’s something that’s kind of mystical,” Grodin said. This program acts as an intermediary to un-mystify this world by offering an opportunity to execute what has been done in class yet without being an alumni.
However, next year onward, every Brandeis student can look forward to enjoying such experiences in their learning process at Brandeis and in the real world. A Brandeis student will also have two advisors, referred to as academic/career advisors, in addition to two types of transcript reports: “One will have the grades and the course they took, and the other will be a record of what they know and what they can do.” President Arthur Levine. Things they may know and can do may include communication skills and ability to work with technology in terms of thinking critically and coping with changes rather than what they are familiar with in their subject matter.
The need here is obvious. As a university with an endowment of $1.4 billion, Brandeis has been subsidizing its tuition by over 60 percent just to fill its classrooms, and this is not much different, according to Levine, as a high-end jewelry business like Tiffany and Co. advertising a Half-Price Jewelry Sale because the crisis of low enrollments in the universities has become an epidemic, and as a result of the shift in demographics, the loss of trust in the university system, and the fear of debt, the threat of serious enrollments is a reality because the early 2030s forecast a 5 percent loss of enrollments in the country, along with a sharp loss in California and New York enrollments.
However, the faculty at Brandeis University appreciates the changes that have been occurring. According to Linda Bui, the dean of the newly formed School of Business and Economics, which came about as a result of the merger between the International Business School and the Economics Department at Brandeis University, these two organizations had been sharing space. “It just makes sense to combine the two,” she said. Indeed, it appears that this is the future as other schools such as Clark University, University of Arizona, as well as Georgia Tech, have been changing their liberal arts curriculum to reflect applied humanities.
This fits a report by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, where they saw only a 22 percent realization of skill-learning education even though 86 percent of senior higher education officials believe in skill-learning education. Learner records are slowly gaining popularity even though they include comprehensive digital transcripts that examine both classroom and experiential knowledge.
This was aptly informed by CAEL’s Becky Klein-Collins in a report she wrote: “You can’t really have one without starting on the other.” However, those who criticize the strictly vocational education advocate that, amidst the preparation for the workplace, they shall not be robbed of the ability to adapt, as provided by the liberal education. Evidence suggests that liberal education has been discovered to correlate well with increased career adjustability a decade after graduation, though immediate employment after graduation remains limited. Students with an excellent background in liberal education possess increased opportunities to pursue further education, thereby increasing their lifetime earnings.
Already, some collegiate institutions are harboring the promise of this blended approach. The “Experiential Edge” project at Endicott College insists that the students undergo three internships, resulting in a remarkable 99% job placement rate or enrollment into graduate studies within one year after graduation. This Equals the Brandeis plan to educate students towards career preparation during the first year of college, rather than during the final year.
It brings a message of hope and relief to aspiring students and their kin: that the liberal arts education shall still pay off provided that the education embraces skills and experiences. It also brings a message of change to the practitioners: that the priorities are different that a liberal arts education that retains its brain and succeeds in the economy and possesses a penchant for adaptation and skills shall ultimately succeed.
