| Presentation:
In the spring 2009 semester, Dr. Levinson will teach undergraduates for the first time in his 40-year career as a professor of law, and has been reflecting on the topic of this session. He noted the tension between aspects of a professional field that are relevant to liberal education and the need of professional fields to circumscribe subject matter to prepare students for practice. Dr. Levinson encourages the expansion of interdisciplinary programs, but he observed that some professors are reluctant to embrace such initiatives because they often are not trained to answer in-depth questions about a range of professional disciplines beyond their own. For example, a law professor can train future lawyers but may not feel comfortable analyzing or discussing the broader role of law within larger society. There also are issues of accreditation and credentialing. The incorporation of professional schools’ curricula in general education also can be difficult because, as Dr. Levinson suggested professional judgments do matter, “When building a bridge, engineers are necessary.”
Dr. Levinson’s general education course will draw on concepts raised in his book, Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It). By focusing on the U.S. Constitution, the course can help students question the most important issues of how individuals govern themselves and may encourage them to be active participants in 21st century society, a fundamental goal of undergraduate education. In this way, Dr. Levinson’s professional knowledge of law and the Constitution can spark or invigorate students’ civic-mindedness and participation in politics.
Discussion:
A participant suggested that institutions of higher learning should focus on creating thinkers rather than professionals. To do so, universities should advance General Education curricula, which might also include some professional materials.
Another participant raised the issues of undergraduates who have no major or who are not committed to the major they initially selected. Consider the English major who discovers a love of linguistics in his or her first semester. The participant suggested that a liberal education curriculum that features input from professional schools can help students to find their passion and thereby help students to discover what they don’t want to pursue. Sometimes students find their path via process of elimination.
Another participant described “cafeteria plans” that allow students to fulfill credits but do not actually expose them to a variety of disciplines. Some professional schools restrict general education courses for undergraduates. For example, business majors often take macroeconomics and microeconomics to fulfill their “social studies” requirement, instead of exploring non-business areas as part of their general education requirements. The participant argued that faculty should encourage students to take courses that are completely unrelated to their majors so that they are able to find their passion. Some suggested that universities should encourage variety by minimizing students’ opportunities to “double dip,” i.e. to take a course that fulfills two or more requirements.
Dr. Levinson guided the conversation back to his experience as a law professor by saying that admission to law schools requires no specific undergraduate field of study. Dr. Levinson stressed the importance of students discovering and excelling in a discipline that interests them because law schools tend to require particular majors.
A participant countered by saying that students sometimes select majors in which they are unlikely to succeed, and that advisors should help students get out of the mindset of focusing only on one discipline. For example, students can sometimes get caught up with the idea of majoring in the sciences, and when they do not excel, they remain in the major and generate a transcript of poor grades. The participant suggested that advisors and instructors should refocus students (and their parents) rather than encourage students to struggle thorough a pre-medical track at a mediocre level. Another participant responded with the concern that, before realizing that they are on the wrong track, too many students in this situation get so far into their degree that they have already invested too much time and money to start over.
One participant discussed the importance of explaining to parents that the period of general education, generally the first two years of an undergraduate program, is an essential exploration period before forcing students to settle on one major or another.
The concept of advisors as “mediating mentors” also emerged. One participant explained that his university adopted “appreciative advising,” which goes beyond course selection and helps students explore their interests and motivations. For example, the mediating mentors may have a student who is pre-med or majoring in dentistry, but the mentor realizes that the student has weak science grades and an affinity for British literature. The mentor should encourage that student to change his or her major to a discipline that is more in line with the student’s natural interests and strengths. The participant said that the mediating mentors provide tools to the students, especially in addressing their parents, and explain that students need to consider a different field, in which can improve their chances for success.
One participant argued that engineering has a special role in general education and that there should be in an institutional approach to integrating that discipline in general education. In his university, a renowned chemical engineering professor teaches a seminar to non-majors in order to generate interest in students who otherwise would not get an in-depth look at engineering. Similarly, another participant described how at her university, a civil engineering professor teaches a course called “Materials of Civilization.”
A participant remarked that interdisciplinary curriculum has been devalued because many faculty members have become too focused on their own interests instead of considering the needs of students and their parents. Dr. Levinson agreed that students need to see college as a time for exploration, rather than only a preparation for a career.
A final comment came from a participant who contended that universities should rethink the current model of earning a degree in four years by completing 120 credits and parents “paying a fortune.” If learning is the ultimate outcome of an education, does it matter which path students take to get there?
Recommendations:
For Individual Campuses
- Continue to support and develop interdisciplinary programs, especially for undergraduate students, because many professional programs are not equipped to answer a large range of questions related to their fields of study.
- Expand general education practices to expose students to a deeper look at a variety of professions as a way to guide students into the area that suits them best and helps undecided students find a field of interest.
References/Resources:
Publications
- Levinson, S. (2006). Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It. New York: Oxford University Press.
|
