Two weeks ago I attended a Presidential Experience Lab with about 70 other university presidents in Silicon Valley. The topic was “Higher Education in the New World Economy.”
It was good to get away from campus to think about the future and brainstorm with other leaders in higher education and industry. We heard from Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn; Allen Blue, one of LinkedIn’s founders; other corporate leaders; and professionals with EAB, a firm we have partnered with this year to help accelerate our progress at Missouri State, who presented important data for us to consider.
Compassionate leadership
Weiner talked about the importance of compassionate leadership. He defined compassion as empathy plus action. He emphasized the importance of leading this way in difficult times and reminded us we can always control how we treat others.
I frequently talk about creating a culture of kindness and the importance of empathy, so his thoughts resonated with me. These are good reminders as we enter into another tough budget year. I know I can do better in this area.
Education and the economy
The major focus of the gathering was to consider the future of higher education. One major theme was that both a great education and economic opportunity are equally important. A good education alone is insufficient if our students do not have meaningful career opportunities upon graduation. It is equally true that a good economy is insufficient if there are not well-educated graduates who can participate in that economy.
You might be surprised to learn that private-sector leaders in Silicon Valley were not advocating we teach only technical skills to our students. They know those skills will be obsolete in a matter of years. They believe in the importance of a liberal arts education.
All agreed on the value of “soft skills” like critical thinking, communication, team work and creativity alongside subject matter content. Unfortunately, more than 60% of graduates believe that college did not adequately prepare them for their first professional job and an even greater numbers of employers concur.
I left with these questions:
- How can we do a better job of teaching “soft skills” to our students?
- How can we supplement the solid traditional education we provide with practical business, creative and technology-based courses to better prepare our students for the work world?
- How can our career centers better prepare our students for future jobs?
- Do we have enough experiential learning in our curriculum?
Engaging on LinkedIn
Finally, I learned more about LinkedIn and its strategic vision. That knowledge has encouraged me to update my profile and become more engaged with the app in the future.
I believe our students should do the same, particularly as they build their resumes and begin their careers. We can better help them learn to talk about their experiences, develop new and important skills, and begin successful careers.
Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!
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