Respond to the following discussion questions, discussion questions should be 2 to 3 paragraphs :
Discussion .1
After reviewing Case Study : Issues in Higher Education, I am standing with maintaining a more purely academic, liberal arts education with a focus on the humanities. At the beginning of this assignment I had taken a stand with increasing focus, funding, and new hiring for professional and technical fields. After researching both sides, I changed my stance. In today's economy, developing the skills to become critical thinkers and problem solvers has gotten lost and the idea of developing skills to obtain a specific job has been embraced. According to the White House Jobs Council in 2012, projections indicate that by 2020 we will have 1.5 million too few college graduates as compared with employer demand. This alone has put America at the bottom and struggling to compete with the global arena. The White House Jobs Council in 2012 also states, only 1.5% of 25 to 34 years olds in the workplace gained a higher education degree in a science related field, putting the U.S. in the bottom third of all OECD countries. If the focus continues to shift more towards professional and technical fields the U.S will continue to struggle as we compete with other countries.
Discussion .2
As it relates to Case Two: Issues in Higher Education, I feel strongly that Rogel College should increase curricular focus, funding, and new hiring for professional and technical fields. Maintaining a purely academic, liberal arts education with a focus on the humanities would not help the college improve its national standing as an undergraduate institution.
Any plan to improve a school's national standing should take into account its key stakeholders such as students, faculty, administration, employers, board of trustees, state officials, community members, and other key constituents of the institution. Beginning with the democratization of higher education following World War II, state leaders and policy makers saw the need for a critical examination of higher education with the intent of improving quality and increasing accountability in this arena (Burke, 2005).
Organizational influences stem from competition among institutions for state and federal funds. Cutbacks in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently during the economic recession in 2010, have forced many institutions to reallocate resources and evaluate academic programs. As a result, many institutions have had to enhance their missions and offerings, and weed out unnecessary programs in order to remain operational and competitive (Bohn, Reyes & Johnson, 2013; Burke, 2005).
Internally, academic reform is influenced often times by faculty and students. Students provide input or feedback that faculty rely on to enhance their instruction and academic plans. This in turn, improves the institution's offerings and educational environment overall. Ultimately, the public and policy makers use the results from the evaluations and academic plans to make judgements about the institution.
In today's world, technology is the future. Children are intrigued by technology and develop a comfort with the use of technology even before they learn to walk or talk. Today, it is difficult for any institution to survive without investing in a great technology plan. First, an institution with modern infrastructure proves that it is able to keep up with changing times. More importantly, technology enables institutions to extend their reach and engage in healthy competition for students and teachers everywhere (Bohn, Reyes & Johnson, 2013; Burke, 2005). Through advances in technology, institutions in Pennsylvania are now competing with institutions in Florida and Arizona for teachers and students. To remain stagnant in these rapidly changing times means losing out on major opportunities to attract students and grow the institution (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, & Haas, 2009).
The skills and abilities that are obtained from a liberal arts education are still desired in the work force. "Of the business and industry leaders who responded to a survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), 93 percent said that a college graduate they hired should have a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems-all skills provided by a good liberal education" (Shinn, 2014). A liberal arts education prepares students to deal with diversity and change. It allows them to apply their knowledge and skills to real world settings.
Liberal art students are encouraged to become active participants in their educational journey. "The idea that students learn more when they are themselves existentially engaged and active in the learning process, when they themselves generate their own questions, has been widely substantiated by empirical studies" (Kuh, 2008). Student centered learning allows students to engage in issues that appeal to their lives. Active learning creates meaningful learning.