What college administrators and faculty can learn from one philosophy department's story

The Chronicle of Higher Education has a piece this morning about how the Villanova University Philosophy Department has enhanced its relevance to the institution's students.  Courses such as "The Good Doctor" and "The Philosophy of Exchange" resonate with pre-med and business students.  Meanwhile, the chair and faculty have liaised with the admissions folks and others to communicate what sorts of careers the department's graduates have gone on to pursue.  The department also holds events to engage its majors and help them succeed academically.

This story is a microcosm of how endangered four-year institutions must ride the Fifth Wave of American higher education.  What many today are calling "The Value Proposition" is a combination of attributes which will entice students and parents to become our "customers."

First and foremost, they must see a worthwhile career at the end of the line.  Absent that pay-off, few will be willing to pay up.  A good place to start in making this case is with the basic or core skill sets that most employers say they want.  These include:

• Communication
• Adaptability
• Teamwork
• Goal orientation
• Positive attitude

All of these can come from four years of Philosophy, says one web site.

This same site says that the knowledge of logic and ethics that derive from the Philosophy major transfer into many roles in law, medicine, government, business and IT.

Second, we have to provide an experience that a pure on-line degree or even a community college can't.  For me, back in my day, this experience was provided by my fraternity (see yesterday's post).  Better ways of providing such an experience fall under the rubric of "engaged learning."  Some examples are:

• Student leadership roles
• Lab and other research experiences with faculty
• Community service
• Study abroad and short-term, faculty led study experiences
• Internships and co-ops

If the four-year institutions that form the core of American higher education are to ride out the Fifth Wave, we need to draw the larger lesson from the Villanova Philosophy Department story and apply it across our campuses.