Just a couple of months ago. Alaska governor decided to cut half of the fund from the University of Alaska operating system. One central contribute is the belief of the liberal art, and general college degree value is degrading. Similar critic not only arises domestically but also at the international level. Especially in recent years, more and more people questioning the quality and value of college degrees. Ordinary member of Society and scholars ask them self “what are the most important thing students should learn in college?”
Martha Nussbaum, a well-known American Philosopher, In her article “Education for Profit, Education for Democracy” She introduced that America Liberal Art college education model required students to take a wide range of courses that is outside of student essential subject. The purpose behind it is to form an “informed, independent, and sympathetic democratic” citizen. Then she emphasized the U.S college tradition. Students should not always passively receive knowledge from the system. Instead, they should engage with the topic, be proficient, and be reasoning when it comes to criticizes. In my view. I think its all about the mind. Always challenging your mind to engage with the topic, to be inspired and creative, and to be able to see the subject from different perspectives under different circumstances. Assist you in developing your mind is what college is known for.
Many people assume that Liberal art degree isn’t as practical as STEM field major. You might heard about the ridiculous amount of debt college offered you, and many colleges graduate with a liberal art degree finding it harder to get a job while students with science mathematic or doctor degree are getting more popularity from employers. In response to previous criticizes. Sanford J. Ungar, American journalists, author, former president of Goucher College, directly opposed denouncement on liberal art education system through his paragraph “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts.” He indicates like it’s hard to describe the advantage that Liberal Art and other college degrees can bring to us, but what it can bring to us are those subtle understanding of the complex may shape the world we live in.
Moreover, He advocates individual and Society not to put their priority on job filling. In fact, in recent years, industries can communicate with education institutions on their needs, and education institutions will send their favored type of student to fulfill the job position. He urges that “history is filled with examples of failed social experiments that treated people as work units rather than individuals capable of inspiration and ingenuity.” It is better for student to have the option than to search for a “single track,” which might potentially restrict his/her ability to do better things. His main concept, somehow, is similar to Nussbaum and perfectly fit my ideology, He indicates the importance of the developing in mind and how college can not only benefit your career-wise but also helps individuals develop modern citizenship.
On the other hand, “The ideas of higher education,” published by Ronald Barnett, presents another theory. She suggests that college is extremely difficult to complete, and it’s a place where you must step out of your comfort. Yet, it’s a place where you are being rewarded for your hard work. Unlike Ungar and Nussbaum, She promotes the process. She directly indicates that “No matter how much efforts are put in, or how much liberal research, there are no final answers. Indeed, the realization should come that there are all sorts of rival position, and that there is no absolute way of choosing between them.” At first, I found this sentence confusing, cause the lack of explanation on the story background, and she presented it in such an abstract way. Then I come to realization that nothing is absolutely right or wrong, and its all about your perspective and your standing in view which is, I think, an essential skill to grasp and college can help you develop and master on that. I could inform you about my position on what is the best thing student should learn from college, but it doesn’t matter. Again, what is supreme to me may be meanness to you.
Furthermore, not saying that without the experience in college will leads to a limitation on your ability or potential. As a matter of fact, countless elites out there have made a tremendous contribution in a certain subject to the Society. They made a good living without the help of college degree, but they might not have the privilege to live a life with rich in value and character
