Reacting to two statements about my university.

1.   Our recent brand audit showed that we see our university as creative, caring, and gritty.

2.   Our current mission statement is “our caring and creative community prepares students for careers in a rapidly changing world”.

I can think of individuals who are creative (e.g., Prof. Dave Merrill), caring (e.g., Prof. Barbara Lockee), or gritty (e.g., Prof. Glen Bull), but I cannot think of anyone who has all three of those characteristics. So, that led me to wonder about applying descriptors that normally apply to people to organizations or institutions. I know some organizations that are large and some that are small, some that are diverse and some that lack much diversity, some that are hierarchical and some that are relatively flat, and so on. I am also aware of organizational cultural descriptions, but those typically refer to how decisions are made and how people interact at different levels. So, I start out confused thinking about this.

Then I think about what we are preparing students for. We recently had an invited speaker in the Discovery Series who assumed that higher education was aimed at preparing students for jobs of the future, although he admitted to not knowing what those jobs would be. My own view of education is dramatically different. When I was accepted as a doctoral student in philosophy at the University of Texas, the letter of acceptance contained an interesting statement – namely, do not expect to find a job in philosophy upon completing the program. I went anyway and was the only graduate in my class who did get a job in philosophy the year I graduated. But I did not go because I wanted a job. I went because I wanted to study philosophy. So, I am not convinced that the main purpose of higher education is to prepare people for jobs, known or unknown. I think it is up to students to decide why they are pursuing higher education. My offhand thought is that higher education in general helps a person to better understand the many complexities of our world. Understanding and appreciating those complexities can lead to personal fulfillment and an enriched adult life. Sometimes. Maybe. In some cases.