The Role of Liberal Arts in Higher Education Interview Question

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While many view Stalk and liberal arts every bit being reverse courses of report, Purdue University is discovering new and creative ways for students to pursue their interests in both. In this calendar month's interview, Lori Sparger, COO and CIO of Purdue University College of Liberal Arts, talks about new initiatives at the College of Liberal Arts for students to discover their interests, explore careers, and redefine the college experience.

Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Ms. Sparger, briefly explain your career path and how it adult into your position today every bit the main operating officer and chief innovation officer at Purdue's College of Liberal Arts.

Lori Sparger, primary operating officer and chief innovation officer, Purdue University, College of Liberal Arts: All of my time at Purdue has been within this college. It started in marketing and donor relations with Purdue Theatre, our academic theatre plan. From at that place, I moved to the dean's office and spent x years as a major gift fundraiser. That allowed me to learn about programs across the college. When our new dean arrived in 2015, I was set for a broader claiming and a dissimilar kind of role to assist elevate the college. My current position provides all of that. I am always very appreciative of the opportunity.

Hibel: Y'all have a very interesting background. In addition to your work in academia, you lot also are the co-author of the volume, "Exist More, Find Your Truth, Tell Your Story and Get What You Want out of Life." How do yous bring this inspirational bulletin to your staff, faculty and students on campus?

Sparger: The book is really nigh self-sensation and empowerment. Ten years ago, we created a Purdue class that connects students with our liberal arts alumni as a mode of helping the students envision the career possibilities that are open to them. I'm now the instructor for that class-and I promise, the heavy lifting and the true inspiration come from our alumni guest speakers. Existence able to take that student connexion is important. Much of my portfolio inside the college is tied to undergraduates. Having lx-something students in a room for l minutes a week helps me stay in melody with what matters to them. It likewise allows me to help them define their aspirations. Central to the book is the question: What do you want to exist when you grow upwardly? Having conversations with students, and sometimes members of my staff, most that really tough question is a meaningful role of what I practice. I have to say, the book is the brainchild of my co-author, Todd Putman, a swain Purdue alumnus. I am grateful that he asked me to collaborate with him and for the many lessons I learned through the feel of working on Be More than with him.

Hibel: Many employers are focused on STEM graduates, of which Purdue has every right to be proud. However, Purdue Liberal Arts is working hard to build partnerships with businesses to highlight the strengths and importance of the liberal arts students and graduates as well. What are some ways Purdue is working on spreading the message that Purdue is more than than but Stem?

Sparger: The STEM strengths at Purdue are a great point of pride, merely Purdue is a comprehensive university with a central administration and lath of trustees who support our College of Liberal Arts. We read over and over most employees who lack the so-called soft skills, similar writing, teamwork, and the ability to present ideas in a compelling way. Those are the skills nosotros develop across our majors. With our new Career Center, as nosotros talk with employers, part of our objective is to assistance them connect the dots. We say-when you demand disquisitional thinking skills and the ability to compellingly communicate complex ideas, consider a philosophy or history major. When you want someone who can work well across a multi-functional team, call up about a theatre major, whose team includes designers, actors, writers, technical staff, construction crews and an ability to ensure that when the house goes night, the show goes on. The career paths for liberal arts majors are not linear. It takes an openness and some imagination for both employers and students to encompass their potential.

Hibel: Purdue is innovative in its approach to strengthening the value of the liberal arts caste such as the recent creation of the Degree in three program and the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts Certificate. Delight explicate a little more than about these and the importance of these types of innovative programs.

Sparger: Nosotros have a dean, David Reingold, with a deep delivery to undergraduate education and to addressing challenges in new means. Across the country, nosotros know that liberal arts programs face enrollment declines and a narrative that puts liberal arts and the STEM disciplines in opposition. With Degree in 3, we accept created paths to an undergraduate degree that allow students to choose an expedited course of report. Degree in 3 offers a nifty value proposition. Students literally can save thousands of dollars and start earning a living a year earlier. Each of these students will consummate all the requirements for a Purdue B.A., and they'll do information technology in 3 years. Do you desire an employee who is focused, motivated and hard-working? Degree in iii graduates will embody those qualities. You look at all of that and see that a Purdue Liberal Arts degree is a great career option.

Cornerstone seeks to redefine the freshman experience at a large, public university. Its commencement two classes, which teach written and oral communication skills, are taught by laurels-winning faculty members, great teachers, in sections with less than 30 students. When I talk to students and parents near Cornerstone, I tell them, these classes are what you always dreamed college would be. Small classes. Big ideas. Engaged professors. I truly believe that for freshmen in Cornerstone this semester, these will be classes they will remember and talk about years from at present. For students in engineering, technology, direction and science, Cornerstone's themes volition teach them about their areas of study through the lens of the humanities and social sciences. Bringing together liberal arts and Stalk strengthens both. For students who want to be leaders in their field, Cornerstone will requite them a broader understanding of the work in front of them. It will teach them to be amend communicators, to share their ideas for maximum impact. As it grows, it's a plan that tin help define what information technology means to be a graduate of Purdue University.

Hibel: The dean's part has published an impressive roadmap of how Purdue Liberal Arts volition "sally equally a leader in innovative Liberal Arts education and scholarship." Volition y'all explain the purpose of this roadmap further and a few of the key challenges and opportunities identified.

Sparger: If you want to motion a large thought forwards, it's of import to be able to clear its nuance, to talk virtually it in very granular ways. But information technology's equally of import to be able to break information technology down into memorable components. That'southward what the roadmap does. It outlines our vision, our challenges and our goals on a single slice of paper in a mode that's very easy to empathise. It's posted on our website so that anyone who is curious can see what matters to us: strengthening the undergraduate experience, upgrading graduate education, enhancing faculty excellence and expanding revenue sources too equally how we will motion those iv things forward. Information technology'south a useful tool. In that location are times when great opportunities present themselves, simply resources are scarce. Whether they demand fourth dimension or treasure, the roadmap provides a way to appraise those opportunities. Do they motion us frontward? Practice they marshal with what we are trying to accomplish? If non, it's of import to sometimes say no. The roadmap helps with that decision-making process.

Hibel: I tin imagine that it takes back up from all stakeholders on campus in order to elevate the liberal arts community and gloat its relevance in today'southward chore market place. How and what is Purdue doing in terms of "getting anybody on lath" on campus in lodge to achieve this goal?

Sparger: That'southward an on-going process. We've had many conversations across campus about Cornerstone, for instance. At that place's a lot of back up for the idea. At the same fourth dimension, it represents a modify in how the college has delivered pedagogy in written and oral advice that impacts all Purdue students. Agreement the applied challenges beyond campus is important. When you lot roll out something new, there are broad strokes, similar marketing strategies that advance your ideas. At that place's also personal interaction, whether that's a dejeuner to talk about a new program, a fair to talk about our majors, minors, and certificates, or sitting downwardly with an influencer over a cup of coffee. We're doing all of it. Purdue's mascot is a train, the Boilermaker Special, but it's a little more circuitous than but inviting everyone on board with u.s.a..

Hibel: What is Purdue'southward College of Liberal Arts' philosophy on educating and preparing liberal arts students to contribute to guild? In particular, why is information technology important to have well-rounded graduates?

Sparger: Well-rounded graduates are leaders in their careers and in their communities. They bring to the table an important perspective. The challenges that we face as a club are complex and they will demand creative, multi-faceted, innovative, and meaningful solutions. In the real world, we need engineers and humanists, scientists and artists to work side past side. It's a liberal arts and Stem globe. We don't alive in two discrete silos. They are securely interconnected. The ethical implications of emerging technologies will touch all of our lives in practical and political means. Equally the next generation of leaders addresses questions we aren't fifty-fifty asking yet, it will take both Stem-educated and liberal arts-educated individuals working together to arrive at solutions that move u.s. forward and aspire to a greater skillful.

Hibel: I'm certain you are excited about the recent opening of the Higher of Liberal Arts Career Center. In addition to working with such firms as Parker Dewey, what other ways are you helping provide opportunities to students?

Sparger: I'yard very excited. In the liberal arts, we oasis't traditionally introduced the idea of career to students early in their educational activity in the ways that our counterparts in technology and direction have. At present, fifty-fifty as role of our undergraduate recruitment efforts, we are talking with students nigh what they need in order to have their passion for anthropology or languages and plow it into a great career. We'll offer programming that helps set up students for internships and chore search. We're developing relationships with corporate partners who will come to meet Purdue every bit a much-needed resources for talent.

It was important when nosotros opened the career center that nosotros also launched our partnerships with Parker Dewey and Arise Indiana. Parker Dewey is a wonderful opportunity for our students to complete micro-internships, five to forty hours they can do aslope their coursework to explore jobs in a low-risk fashion that likewise gives them paid, practical experience. With Ascend, we have an Indianapolis-based partner that is helping usa advance the story about the value liberal arts tin add for businesses inside the state, and assuasive our graduates to go a foot in the door as they embark upon their careers.

Hibel: Y'all are plain passionate about working in academia. What keeps you lot engaged working in higher teaching?

Sparger: Right now, at that place's an exceptional opportunity with Purdue Liberal Arts to be creative and innovative. Nosotros try new things every solar day, and I have a squad that is excited that nosotros are breaking new ground. They are securely passionate nearly their jobs and it shows. Our students are always energizing. They feel very strongly about the higher and virtually their studies. They are great proof points. When an employer is on campus, all I need to do is create the opportunity for them to interact with our students. I don't need to say a word. Over and over over again, what I hear is - your students are and then bang-up. That of form carries over to an alumni group with a deep delivery to the higher and to our students. I have developed many friendships with our alumni over the years that are very important to me.

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Source: https://www.higheredjobs.com/HigherEdCareers/interviews.cfm?ID=1389

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