Figure and Ground

To my son, a fourth-grader, the ultimate knowledge authority is “the Internet.”  Anything he needs to know, he can find online.  Any argument can be settled by looking the facts up on the Web.  Eventually he will learn that there is as much conflicting information in cyberspace as there is in his classroom or our living room, but the bigger truth is that his generation knows information and knowledge are “out there,” readily accessible, 24-7, and usually free.

This emerging reality surely has countless implications for those of us in the information and knowledge “business,” but lately I have been thinking of one, in particular.  In an age when learning can happen anytime, anywhere, one distinguishing feature of a university must be the context we create for learning.  We do more than teach music, or Spanish, or biology; we help students develop an education.  More than that, we want them to develop a liberal education, which the Association of American Colleges & Universities defines as, “an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest.”

This is not something that we can accomplish individually or singly in any of our specific disciplines.  Nor can it be imparted at the abstract level of a mission statement or motto.  It is a task that we undertake together, and we must do so purposefully, thoughtfully, diligently.  It is something that we must talk about.

I am excited that at this moment we have several initiatives developing in the College of Arts and Letters that are evidence of our desire and ability to do just that.

• 13 faculty representing all seven departments are working to develop an innovative version of GEP 101 that will draw upon all our disciplines in introducing freshmen to the values of a liberal education.
• Seven faculty members are taking part in the Arts & Letters Leadership Year development program, looking to gain a broader perspective on higher education and exploring the connections among our various disciplines.
• We are preparing to launch the new College Advising Office, which will be staffed by outstanding advisors from all our departments and will establish a network of faculty who are familiar with programs across the college and will help us focus together on issues affecting student success.
• In mid-October I will begin meeting with the new college Student Advisory Team, consisting of three students (undergraduate and graduate) from each of the seven departments.  I know I will learn from them, but I also hope they will learn from each other as they encounter students from different disciplines.

These are just a few of the many ways we can make room for conversations about what we are doing together.  Beyond the passions we have for our own fields, we must be just as passionate about the quality of our students’ whole education.  Let’s face it, most of the information we teach in our disciplines can be learned lots of places, whether online, in libraries, on the job, or at a competing university.  What cannot be duplicated elsewhere is the environment that we establish for learning and creating.  That environment is what will make students move beyond thinking, “I want to study _______________,” to “I want to study _______________ at Missouri State.”