Better Selling isn’t Going to Save the Liberal Arts
The liberal arts struggle in a new environment that no longer permits the academy to define relevance by itself. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, society’s bargain with higher education was simple — we want more of whatever it is you have to offer. This perception of unfettered value in a baccalaureate degree was quite favorable to institutions and tenured faculty and allowed them to be the sole arbiters of relevance.
The 21st century is a much more demanding environment. Prospective students and society are more focused on what they seek from higher education and will not leave relevance to the sole discretion of colleges and universities. This is not just a matter of employment and careers. That is at the top of the list for almost all students, but there is a lot more involved that cuts across whatever it is that students seek to achieve with their investment of time, money and effort.
Inside Higher Ed reported this week on two academic gatherings highlighting this tension. The Modern Language Association’s (MLA) annual meeting included a panel on Advocating the English Major. Meanwhile, the American Historical Association was grappling with relevance by asserting that its practitioners were best suited to be America’s futurists, a role they must consider to be more in demand these days.
The MLA discussion revealed both a losing proposition for humanities departments and a much better approach that could yield success. Some of the discussion at MLA’s panel was reported to be on the question of “selling the English major.” There is no surer path to failure than to think your challenge is just a matter of promotion.
Whether it’s a department or the whole institution trying to enroll students, presuming you already have what students want is the biggest mistake you can make. You cannot assume relevance and simply commit to shouting that more loudly to the world. This spring, I pointed out that serious flaw in Sweet Briar College’s strategic plan: they assumed their competitive advantage and simply had to make more students aware of the benefit awaiting them.
Spelman College offered a much smarter approach at the MLA gathering. Department chair, Tarshia Stanley, shared that they “not only changed how (the English department) promotes itself, but the substance of the major.” That’s what marketing means. It’s not just selling; it’s understanding what prospective students are looking for and how to deploy your capabilities to build a program that delivers that value. With that in hand, your enrollment effort can be much more successful than designing irresistible brochures.
I am a believer in, and product of, a rigorous liberal arts education. The liberal arts experience remains relevant today and, in fact, should be even more important to living a meaningful life in an increasingly complex world. But liberal arts have to mean something. It cannot just be a credit distribution scheme or a list of disciplines surrounding a dizzying array of courses that don’t build to something greater than the sum of its credits.
There is no single approach that will help advocates of a liberal arts education break through the current popular perception working against them. Simply better selling of certain disciplines or majors is not going to work. And more importantly, educators need to determine if their current programs really meet the standards of a rigorous liberal arts education that is relevant to the goals of students living in the 21st century.
Let me close by using the conceptual thinking that was nurtured by my liberal arts education and offer some high level thoughts on what colleges should consider. Here’s a list that might sound like buzz words but if you use them as a framework to think deeply, you could come up with compelling ideas on strengthening the relevance and quality of your programs.
Outward-focused: There is no chance of understanding relevance unless you put yourselves in the shoes of those you will educate. A student and societal focus is essential.
Intentional: Good results aren’t accidental. If you want to promote your program as a path to excellent writing skills, you need to be clear about how you accomplish that.
Breadth: As a student, I was repeatedly told that a deep dive into one subject was not consistent with a liberal arts education. A complex world demands breadth both in individuals and the programs that seek to develop them.
Context: Any of the traditional liberal arts majors should be the home base for an exploration of the context around the subject at hand. Doesn’t the literature major need to know about the history, politics, economy, philosophy, technology, geography, psychology and more of the times in which the studied author writes? These contextual links work across all disciplines.
Distinctive: It’s a crowded and increasingly shrinking enrollment market out there. How do you stand out? If you’re generic, you better be prepared to survive on the shrinking tuition that approach provides.
Coherent and aligned: All the pieces have to fit together to deliver on your intent.
This framework is not encyclopedic. But it might start you on the challenge that Spelman College’s English Department has engaged. You cannot start by selling. The advocates of the liberal arts must first look internally but through an externally focused lens. Being able to stand astride one’s internal environment and the outside world may be one of the most valuable “21st century skills.” This is no easy task, but my experience tells me that an authentic and rigorous liberal arts education is the best preparation for such a challenging endeavor.
