The process of shedding outdated narratives and creating new ones requires both measured consideration and imagination.
I recently attended a speech given by social entrepreneur Patrick Davis. He was speaking at his alma mater, Stetson University, a small liberal arts school where my daughter is currently a student. At one point during his speech, he gave a passionate sidebar on how much he was offended and concerned about the way that higher education was abandoning the liberal arts in favor of teaching job skills.
As a futurist, product of a liberal arts education (Emory University), and parent financing one, this is a topic I spend a good deal of my time contemplating. Anyone who believes that the broad training offered by such an education provides the skills necessary for creating better tomorrows can’t help but be concerned about this issue.
Higher education is facing significant disruption. From technological advances that directly challenge the way we learn, to economic shifts that threaten to eliminate the need for whole areas of study, there is no doubt that higher education is feeling the pressure to undergo fundamental change.
This pressure is often expressed in attacks on the narratives that underpin our educational institutions. Such challenges are a normal, even necessary, part of transformation. Too often, particularly in politically contentious times, established narratives are simply tossed aside in favor of rhetoric and expediency. The process of shedding outdated narratives and creating new ones requires both measured consideration and imagination.
Unfortunately, the predominant rising narrative tying the value of higher education almost exclusively to employment lacks both deep reflection and foresight. Rightly or wrongly, political and economic pressures are already forcing the large public universities to focus on job training as their purpose for being. Many state-run mega-universities have accepted their fate as white-collar trade schools.
The political persuasiveness of this narrative puts small liberal arts colleges in a difficult position. They are easily cast as villains in the public discourse, the most egregious examples of costs run wild. While many are making a noble effort to play the economic returns game, it is a long uphill climb to prove the efficiency of a small residential institution. Others have chosen to hide behind their traditional narrative in an attempt to stave off any change. Neither strategy will suffice in the face of real challenges and political rhetoric.
The only path to remaining relevant will be to forge a new narrative that reflects the unique offering and purpose of the liberal arts institution re-imagined for tomorrow. The first step in constructing this healthy new narrative is to decide what parts of the traditional story are truly essential. Most in the liberal arts would agree with Mr. Davis, that it is the commitment to produce critical thinkers and engaged citizens, that forms the unshakeable foundation.
Foresight and deep reflection are required to transform that core function into a working narrative that can sustain the liberal arts institution of tomorrow. This requires an honest and often painful discussion within the institution about the strategies that can best deliver on this promise. This may require shedding some of the institution’s most cherished processes. It will definitely require adopting new tools and techniques that create anxiety and confusion.
Change is never easy. To attempt a strategic transformation is even more difficult because it requires challenging both traditional assumptions and the glittering promises of the latest fads. Many institutions may find this process too difficult and simply surrender to the political rhetoric. For those the future will not be so bright.
The future will belong to those with the courage to stand up and declare that there still is value in molding minds and shaping morals, and are willing to accept that change will be a necessary part of maintaining this promise. Of course, expressing this new narrative will not make the challenges facing higher education magically disappear. But it will provide educational leaders with a compass as they sail through uncharted waters towards better tomorrows. Armed with that they will have a chance to determine which transformations will best serve their institutions, their students, and the nation at large.
For the rest of us who still believe that traditional liberal arts have a role to play in creating better tomorrows, we must also help write the new story. In my case that meant sending an email to the President of my daughter’s university after that speech. I just wanted to let her know that, as one of the parents paying those high fees, I fully expected them to heed their alum’s advice. I welcome their experiments in innovation and expect them to remain committed to the mission of training all their students to be a creative forward-looking thinkers. What will you do to help shape this new narrative?