Another Perspective

Selling Your Education

It used to be that you went to college to learn. Today you are just part of the economic machine.

Once upon a time, higher education was the key to learned society. There existed that layer of society interested in discourse, art, politic, music, critique and philosophy. They were intellectuals. An elitist society, to be sure, but one which treasured education greatly in either the rich or the poor. Few people were able to obtain this education for many, many years. However, in the last hundred years or so, however, a much greater percentage of the populace has obtained access to higher education. Those of you reading this are likely part of the population which has obtained entry into the (once) hallowed halls of higher education. So, with an increasing percentage of the population obtaining instruction into these genteel arts, one would suspect that our overall society would become more involved in such things as discourse, critique and philosophy.

Largely, this does not seem to be the case. It is rare that I see a spirited debate over the grand philosophical issues of the day. And it is not because all of the philosophical issues have been resolved. Far from it. Few now are able to analyze a work of fiction in its historical and literary contexts and segue into discussion of mathematical proofs and theorems. The liberal arts are dying. It is a sad thing which signals the loss of something even more significant, for the "liberal" arts are not liberal in the political, left-wing, sense of the word. Rather, the liberal arts are about variety and breadth. They are about being a generalist.

Human evolution would seem to point to the role of Homo sapiens as that of being generalist. We are omnivores, retaining both vegetarian and carnivorous teeth, and specializing in no particular prey. We are remarkable in no obvious physical way, differentiated from our animal brethren by little. Even our highly-touted opposable thumbs are not unique within the animal kingdom. Our "specialization" as a species which differentiates us from our simian brothers and sisters (apart from being gametically isolated) is the development of our brain in the so-called "higher learning centers."

We have shown such advancement as a species in such a short time because of our abilities to learn, communicate, remember and apply knowledge. We will never run down a gazelle as well as a lion, we will never travel through trees as an orangutan, and we will never be genetically limited to a single role as an ant is. We are genetically endowed with the wondrous ability to learn from one area and apply it to another. I do not believe in genetic mandates, but it seems wise to me to exploit and explore those areas in which we excel. Why would we be content to toil in the same vein, day after day, confined to the nutshell of our previous experience when we have the capacity to create, learn, analyze and bring our experiences into new avenues of exploration?

Thus, once, was the mission of higher education. Education, along with love, seems to me the profoundest fulfillment of human potential. Higher education in this day and age seems to fall short of these grandiose tasks. Today people no longer attend college in order to learn how to learn, to expand their horizons, and learn of new paths of thought. Instead, they seek the prerequisites for a job. Knowledge has been subdued by economics.

There are several reasons for this transformation of the educational environment. When interest in the liberal arts was strongest, most students who attended college came from very wealthy families. It did not matter greatly if a student spent an extra year or two becoming well rounded before they became a doctor or a barrister. Many were to have the hereditary job of being a lord or lady; knowledge and eloquence were almost a prerequisite. Of those students who came from more modest means, many were intent upon becoming academics. They did not seek a job outside the confines of the University walls. For those who were able to go to college, a well-rounded education and dedication to the "life of the mind" easily fit into the conception of lifeís journey.

As we have moved further along in time, the educational environment has changed. This was due, partly again, to economics. In this century more people have been able to afford higher education, and the increasing specialization of the workforce made it profitable to attend college. People who obtained degrees not only gained intellectual advancement, they frequently gained economic advancement. Those people who wanted to obtain advanced positions in management or technologically demanding fields frequently had the choice of either rising through the ranks of their company or attending a good college and starting off at a relatively higher position. The college experience was still a refuge of the liberal arts, however. Students were expected to be well read and well spoken. They could obtain a classical education and still learn those skills which were in demand for those who sought advanced employment through their college degree.

Today, however, the situation has changed greatly. A college degree is seen as almost a prerequisite for anyone who desires a job paying above minimum wage. The cost of attending college has also spiraled upward as demand increases and public support declines. No longer are most students able to go to college, sample a variety of fields and spend the time to learn how to learn. Students and families now have to take out huge loans to pay for schooling. Students frequently have to work half-time or more during the school year to pay living expenses. Gone are the days when a year of college could be paid for by the studentís summer job. With loans frequently running in excess of $20,000 for even public institutions, college has placed a large amount of debt and its concomitant feelings of guilt and stress on those people who are supposed to be the most free. College has ceased to be an opportunity and has instead become an investment.

The community around us has come to view education as an investment as well. In the most recent OSSHE newsletter, the Chancellor discusses the need for more Oregon graduates in high-tech fields. It is considered essential to the continued growth of our economy to have a larger quantity of quality graduates that are skilled in the areas demanded by Oregonís high-tech industries. Recent educational reforms, including the Educational Reform Act for the 21st Century, have had the business lobbies as their major supporter. While it is commendable to see business leaders wanting to be involved in education, it is disheartening to see the goals of education twisted to meet the productivity needs of the stateís economic model. The highlighted quote of the column states, "A well-funded higher education system is an investment in Oregonís continued economic growth." It goes on further to state that "working with industry and other higher education providers, the Oregon university system will enhance the flow of Oregon-grown talent into the industry." Nowhere in the column is there a discussion of how target investments might help the intellectual and moral development of students.

"Return On Investment" has become the resounding call of higher education. Economic forces have made students choose the cheapest, most focused educational path which will satisfy their career needs. Dwindling public support has forced colleges to twist their institutions to meet the needs of industry. The concept of the University as bastion of learning, thought, experimentation and contemplation is crumbling. There are still some vestiges of rigor and the concept of liberal arts left in the University system. But unless something is done to acknowledge the necessity of a well-rounded education--the concept of a thinking citizen--then higher education in the United States will merely become a string of technical schools.

Above the main doors at Johnson Hall, there is an inscription carved in marble. It is there, I suppose, to remind us of why the University is here. It says, "Knowledge, the Soul of a Republic." As I pass under it, it makes me wonder: What is the return on investment for our soul?

Judah McAuley didn't graduate from high school, went to a good liberal arts college, and now has a monetarily useless degree in math.