The Universities Role

The university – a mecca of knowledge and “true teaching” or an “academic-industrial complex”? Shelby Lee Porter’s article "Well Rounded Institutions, The Mind and Careers” addresses William Deresiewicz and Mark Edmundson’s bloggingheads.com video "The Academic Industrial Complex”. While I agree with Shelby that universities should be well-rounded and do need to focus on making money - I don’t think they should do those things for the reasons she mentioned. Our thoughts divert on the universities role in asking the big questions such as, “what is the good life and what is good society” - that the universities place is to enable students to think critically, and that people do not necessarily ask the big questions just by living.

Porter says, “I personally do not believe that these big questions should be asked in college anyway. While it may not be the case for many, through my experience, these “big” questions have been asked and somewhat addressed way before I even started college.” Porter is right; some students do address these questions before they reach college. Those who look at their guardians or teachers and decide if theirs is a good life or not, or those who were raised in unfortunate circumstances who realize what would be their good life and are inspired to create it. Also, as William Deresiewicz and Mark Edmundson point out, those who go to church are asked these questions and left to ponder them.

But, this is not the case for everyone. There are students who do not go to church, students who are not self-reflective – students who have rarely thought about the big questions. Students do not usually ponder upon how they can contribute to make a “good society” or manage to “learn through living”. For example, think of students who drink and drive. They are not thinking about how they are damaging society, they are only thinking of themselves. Today’s society is success driven and therefore more individualistic and selfish – another point Deresiewicz and Edmundson make. Honestly, how many students wake up in the morning and think, “What is the good life? What is the good society?”

Another point Porter makes, “College is the place to discover who you are, to accept and reject certain believes, and know why.” She suggests colleges do this by being well-rounded. While I agree that colleges should be well-rounded by providing many different areas of study and professors who excel in their fields, I also think asking the big questions contribute to a college being well-rounded.

Part of learning who are you and what you believe comes from knowing how you want to live your life, how you want to contribute to society, if you even want to contribute, or what is right and wrong with the current state of affairs. When one realizes how they want to create their “good life”, it will help them figure out if they want to pursue a career, enter a convent, or join the Peace Corps, etc. By bringing up the big questions universities help their students understand how their choices affect society.

“A college or university should provide students help in finding the answers that they are looking for and give them the tools and knowledge to use their education however they want to use it” writes Porter. But a universities purpose is not just to enable a student to do whatever they want – they should teach students how to think. Deresiewicz and Edmundson coined the terms “leaders” and “thinkers” – students who buy into the institution and contribute to its survival, and intellectuals - students who question themselves and the system. Porter’s idea, “There are more benefits to rich, successful, popular, and educated alumni, than well, college drop outs”, explains why universities have no interest in asking the big questions, or in creating “thinkers”.

While alumni who go out and make lots of money are excellent for the university, college drop outs appear a bit more useful to society. While of course money will be on the university’s mind, much as it is on yours and mine, money should be viewed as a way to better the institution so as to better serve its students – and society as a whole. I agree with Porter that, “…any person can encompasses both of these “personalities”. Both the thinking aspect as well as the leader aspect should be encouraged when learning.” By cultivating both of these traits in each student the university can still provide for itself while better serving its students in cultivating their minds.

I challenge universities to be less self-centered and more dedicated to teaching its students how to think – professors to find ways to incorporate the big questions in their teachings – students to wage with themselves and the ideas they are presented with.