TO THE EDITOR:
As a recent graduate of a liberal arts college and having acquired so many skills outside of my major, I don’t regret my choice at all.
However, it was unsettling to see so many of my former classmates, across majors, struggling to find employment after graduation.
What I realized has already been stressed by several others who have responded to Gov. Pat McCrory’s comments about the liberal arts.
Degrees in the liberal arts impart valuable knowledge, critical thinking and interpersonal skills, but not necessarily job training.
Contrary to what the governor believes, in the current economy a degree alone, regardless of its subject, isn’t enough preparation for a job.
Just like my friends in English and history graduate programs, who conducted extensive research during their undergraduate education, or the engineers who took a year-long co-op before working in industry after graduation, I had to conduct several research, internship and outreach experiences on top of my degree to garner admission into a graduate program.
Therefore, “Are these disciplines valuable?” or “Do these disciplines prepare students for a job?” are not the questions we should be asking.
Rather, we should consider engaging students in projects outside of class and help them forge the connections needed to apply the valuable knowledge and skills they’ve acquired during their undergraduate education to the “real world” after graduation.
