Words. In an election year, they seem to lose their meaning. The avalanche of words we hear from candidates more interested in sounding sincere than in being sincere – much less truthful – can leave us struggling for clarity and meaning.
Yet in the world outside politics, we know words matter, especially when they describe a public institution’s intentions and goals, its purpose and relevancy.
That is why it is refreshing to hear that Fort Lewis College has revised its mission statement:
“Fort Lewis College offers an integrated and formative liberal arts and professional education to a diverse student population, preparing global citizens to work in and contribute to a complex world.”
Words, yes. But carefully chosen in an effort to preserve the unique identity the college has built – as Colorado’s only public four-year liberal arts college – while embracing the school’s goals and direction for the 21st century.
It was not easy to write. The process, which involved students, faculty, alumni, administrators, trustees and the Durango community, took eight months and more revisions than anyone involved can remember. That effort is worthy of praise.
Also noteworthy is that the statement embraces the value of a liberal arts education in an era when many college students, and perhaps more importantly, parents of high school seniors, are questioning it. In fact, there was some discussion of de-emphasizing the phrase in the revision.
That is because college majors in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) are touted as the surefire path to financial rewards, primarily because they promise career-ready degrees in high-paying technical fields.
At the same time, according to articles in business magazines and journals, employers in a wide range of businesses, including technology, consistently say that the creative skills associated with liberal arts majors are what they look for first when interviewing job candidates.
Writing in Forbes magazine in 2014, Jessica Kleiman, an executive vice president at a public relations firm said, “The classes I took – ranging from philosophy and sociology to cultural anthropology – fueled my curiosity, my critical thinking and writing skills and made me knowledgeable on a variety of subjects. I didn’t feel I made a “mistake” in choosing a (liberal arts) path.”
Perhaps the choice of a major in college is not a simple case of either STEM or liberal arts. Prospective students would be wise to consider a schedule that incorporates both.
In a public radio interview, the late Steve Jobs mentioned this mix when speaking of his approach to computer design at Apple: “I think our major contribution [to computing] was in bringing a liberal arts point of view to the use of computers. Our goal was to bring a liberal arts perspective and a liberal arts audience to what had traditionally been a very geeky technology.”
Of course, another word is associated with Steve Jobs and college, one no college in the country is fond of: dropout. Now, as in Jobs’s day, college may not be the best path for everyone.
FLC’s next task is to incorporate the new mission statement into the larger strategic plan being developed for 2017 through 2021. Judging from the mix of STEM and liberal arts options available to its students, it looks like our local college has its sights set on the right target.
