Roles of Universities in Education and Society Research Paper
Introduction, roles of universities in education, role of university in society, works cited.
The real purpose of higher education has been debated among experts for a very long time. The educational system of the United States is predominantly defined by a focus on liberal arts that aims to develop the characters of students and equip them with knowledge to navigate the various hurdles of life (Spade 54). In recent times, demands for higher education that encompasses personal and professional development have surfaced.
On the other hand, advancements in technology and science have introduced new perspectives that challenge the roles that education plays in society (Masunga 177). Scientific and technological advancements have increased the demand for university education, which is expensive and thus limited to a small number of students.
University education should create prepared minds, contribute towards societal development through research and innovation, promote global development, enhance personal and economic growth, and promote responsible citizenship (Spade 57).
The university should play several roles in developing education especially with regard to research and innovation, character development, preparation of students’ minds, and professional development (Newman 78). One of the major roles that universities should play in education is enlightenment and preparation of students’ minds. The concept of education has evolved significantly due to advancements in technology and science (Spade 55).
In contemporary society, education serves a different purpose unlike in traditional setups where education was an avenue for career development only. People went to school to acquire professional skills that allowed them to get certain job. However, today’s society has changed. Advancements in technology have led to the emergence of entrepreneurship and other career options that have undermined the need for higher education (Newman 79).
University education should focus on preparing the minds of students in order to equip them with the necessary skills for success in life. In many societies, university education is highly commercialized thus undermining its importance in professional and personal growth (Newman 81). This preparation of minds comes in the form of increased creativity, possession of critical thinking skills, development of problem-solving skills, and ability to find one’s purpose in life (Masunga 180).
Advancements in science have necessitated the development of new research methods in order to increase the body of knowledge in different fields (Spade 58). For instance, research is needed in the fields of medicine in order to develop new treatment remedies for diseases such as Ebola and cancer. Promoting research is one of the traditional roles of universities in education (Wong and Moni 407).
Higher institutions of learning provide the means and tools necessary for research that widens the scope of academic knowledge. The United States has several institutions that focus on research. For instance, Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of Technology, Brown University, Arizona State University, Colorado University, Duke University, Florida State University, Columbia University, Michigan State University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are universities that focus on the research aspect of education.
Research focuses on several fields that include technology, medicine, psychology, politics, economics, and business (Newman 87). Emergence of advanced technologies has improved ways in which research is conducted. Universities should finance and facilitate research studies by students.
Higher institutions of learning should equip students with knowledge and skills in order to transform them into professionals who are capable of handling different responsibilities and challenges (Saichaie and Morphew 499). One of the challenges of education in modern society is high demand that has resulted in commercialization of education. The soaring demand has resulted in high education costs and short graduation times that aim to cater for the needs of the many people in need of education opportunities (Spade 63).
As a result, personal understanding and development have been downgraded into the secondary roles of university education. Students go through their degree programs hastily. Learning environments that encourage deep understanding and enlargement of knowledge bodies have been replaced by superficial learning programs that are more concerned with the commercial aspects of education (Saichaie and Morphew 503).
This approach is resulting in high graduation rates that produce individuals who are not well prepared for the challenges of modern labor markets. Universities should create learning environments that foster deep understanding, creativity, innovation, personal development, possession of professional skills, and enlargement of knowledge bodies (Trainor and Leko 263). They should not put academic development before deep understanding that is transformative in nature.
One of the major weaknesses of numerous university programs is that they focus on improving students’ job prospects and ignore the development of other areas (Spade 67). This phenomenon originated from the culture that is encouraged by employers of offering jobs to candidates based on their educational achievements without considering the quality of the education earned. Today’s emphasis is for individuals to earn degrees in order to secure jobs that will earn them comfortable lives.
This encourages universities to offer degrees to large numbers of students without laying emphasis on the quality of learning experiences, which has led to commercialization of education (Spade 71). One of the roles of university education is to enable graduates earn a living through employment and pursuance of careers that interest them (Saichaie and Morphew 507). However, this aspect has been pursued superficially because many universities do not offer learning programs that encourage innovation, creativity, and character development.
University education should not only prepare students for their professional lives but also their personal lives. University education is expensive and highly competitive because of its numerous challenges. In order to provide higher education to everyone, the government developed community and trade schools. In America, trade and community schools offer educational opportunities to individuals who cannot afford university education and those who are not prepared to spend four years in college (Spade 77).
These schools encourage specialization and equip students with skills that are under high demand in the labor market. Many colleges offer degree programs that impel students to change careers several times before settling in fields that they like. Trade and community schools explore different aspects of education in order to ensure that their students are highly educated and ready to face life’s challenges.
Finally, universities should help students develop their characters and personalities. This role goes beyond the traditional approach of focusing on learning and research. Character is one of the most important factors that facilitate the achievement of success in professional and personal life. Many institutions ignore the need for character development because they assume it is an individual responsibility.
Character development equips students with skills, and knowledge that empower them to make informed and responsible decisions in their lives (Trainor and Leko 264). It is the one factor that connects their personal and professional aspects of their lives.
Life has many challenges that require critical thinking and responsible decisions. It is important for universities to design their curriculums in ways that encourage purposeful exploration and self-reflection in order to develop character that creates a foundation for distinction and respect for human dignity (Saichaie and Morphew 521).
The traditional roles of universities include research and instruction with the aim of providing students with knowledge and skills to use in their lives (Wong and Moni 399). They offer students with professional training that equips them with knowledge and skills that enable them to land high-level jobs in their careers (Trainor and Leko 264). In addition, it is aimed at developing the personalities of students.
Research has led to increase in the body of knowledge that has widened the scope of university education with regard to dealing with life’s challenges. The traditional model has been replaced by a more encompassing approach that considers education as an important aspect of societal development through innovation and advanced research. Universities should train students to be democratic, patriotic, caring, just, and respectful members of society.
Civic education is one of the roles universities should play in contributing towards societal development (Rogers, Bertrand, and Perez 6). However, some individuals feel that if universities introduce civic education into their curriculums, they might neglect other more important aspects of higher education. Others feel that it might lead to political indoctrination that could promote political intolerance.
In a survey conducted in California, a large percentage of the respondents argued that it is the responsibility of universities to foster civic education. According to participants, civic education would include sensitizing students about the importance of patriotism and voting, as well as the significance participation in political discourses (Rogers, Bertrand, and Perez 6). Others recommended that universities should teach students about America’s traditions, heritage, cultures, and political practices.
In addition, students should learn about governance, the functioning of America’s civic institutions, and learn to make critical decisions through critical thinking (Rogers, Bertrand, and Perez 6). Universities should help students to determine their roles in transforming communities and changing society by encouraging them to participate in the governance and political endeavors of their country.
Universities should teach students to embrace responsible citizenship and patriotism. It is important for students to develop values that make them caring, proactive, and understanding citizens who are ready to fight for their country by desisting from destructive political discourses that aim to demean the freedom and liberty that Americans enjoy.
Higher education is a critical issue that has been debate din America among experts in different fields. The main problem is the determination of the real value of university education whose demand has been on the rise in the past two decades. Universities have several roles with regard to education and society. Education is the main source of enlightenment as well as skills needed for success in personal and professional life.
In that regard, universities should develop competency and character in students, encourage research, widen knowledge bodies, equip students with professional skills, and facilitate personal development. These roles deviate from the traditional approach embraced by university education that included training and research only. The new approach encompasses the need for both personal and professional growth for a complete education.
On the other hand, university education has a key role to play in societal development. Universities should train students to be democratic, patriotic, caring, just, and respectful members of society. They should embrace broader perspective and focus on other educational aspects other than professional training and research.
Masunga, Robert. Governance Practice in English Further Education Colleges: The Purpose of Further Education Governance and the Changing Roles of Standards Committee Governors. Management in Education . 27. 4 (2013): 176-181. SAGE journals . Web.
Newman, H. John. The Idea of a University . New York: BiblioBazaar, 2009. Print.
Rogers, John, Bertrand Melanie, and Perez Wendy. Finding Common Ground in Educational Values: Influential Californians Speak on the Purpose of Public Education . Los Angeles, UCLA IDEA, 2012. Print.
Saichaie, Kem, and Morphew Christopher. What College and University Websites Reveal About the Purposes of Higher Education. The Journal of Higher Education , 8.4 (2014): 499-530. Print.
Spade, Jon. Learning in the Key of Life . New York: Bedford St. Martins.
Trainor, Audrey, and Leko Melinda. Qualitative Special Education Research: Purpose, Rigor, and Contribution. Remedial and Special Education . 35.5. 92014): 263-266. SAGE journals . Web.
Wong, Wai, and Moni Karen. Teachers’ Perceptions of and Responses to Student Evaluation of Teaching: Purposes and Uses in Clinical Education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education . 39.4 (2014): 397-411. Taylor Francis Online . Web.
- Improving Technologies at the High School
- Free Community Colleges: Arguments For and Against
- The Role of Civic Leadership
- Civic Engagement in Friedman's Writings
- Does multiculturalism undermine civic unity?
- Private Education in America
- Homeschooling as a Valid Alternative to Formal Education
- Expected Achievement and Benefits of Heriot-Watt University
- Educator Mentoring in Public Texas Schools
- History of Vocational Education in High Schools
- Chicago (A-D)
- Chicago (N-B)
IvyPanda. (2020, March 26). Roles of Universities in Education and Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/roles-of-universities-in-education-and-society/
"Roles of Universities in Education and Society." IvyPanda , 26 Mar. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/roles-of-universities-in-education-and-society/.
IvyPanda . (2020) 'Roles of Universities in Education and Society'. 26 March.
IvyPanda . 2020. "Roles of Universities in Education and Society." March 26, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/roles-of-universities-in-education-and-society/.
1. IvyPanda . "Roles of Universities in Education and Society." March 26, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/roles-of-universities-in-education-and-society/.
Bibliography
IvyPanda . "Roles of Universities in Education and Society." March 26, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/roles-of-universities-in-education-and-society/.
- To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
- As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
- As a template for you assignment
- Yale University
- About Yale Insights
- Privacy Policy
- Accessibility
What’s the Value of Higher Education?
Have political and fiscal debates about higher education lost sight of the value of education for individuals and society? Dr. Johnnetta Cole discusses how universities can inform and inspire.
- Dr. Johnnetta Cole President Emerita, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art; President Emerita, Spelman College and Bennett College
This interview was conducted at the Yale Higher Education Leadership Summit , hosted by Yale SOM’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute on January 30, 2018.
The value of a college degree can be measured in a number of different ways: increased lifetime earnings potential, a network of classmates and fellow alumni, subject-matter expertise, a signal of stick-to-itiveness, potentially a marker of class or the capacity to move across classes. There are also less tangible benefits, like becoming a more well-rounded individual and part of a well-informed public.
Yale Insights recently talked with Dr. Johnnetta Cole about how she measures the value of higher education. Cole is the former president of Spelman College and Bennett College, the only two historically black colleges and universities that are exclusively women’s colleges. After retiring from academia, she served as the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. In addition, she served on the boards of a number of corporations, including Home Depot, Merck, and Coca-Cola. She was the first African-American chair of the board for the United Way of America.
Q: Why does higher education matter?
I would say that we could get widespread agreement on what I’m going to call the first purpose of higher education: through this amazingly powerful process of teaching and learning, students come to better understand the world.
There might be some disagreement on the second purpose. I’d say it is to inspire students to figure out how they can contribute to helping to make the world better. Certainly, higher education is about scholarship, but it’s also about service. It’s about creativity. It’s about matters of the mind, but it’s also, or at least it should be, about matters of the heart and the soul.
Q: Has the public perception of universities changed in recent years?
Throughout the history—and herstory—of higher education, there have been doubters, those who have critiqued it. But I have a concern, and some polls tell us, in this period in which we are living, many people believe that higher education is not contributing in a positive way to American life.
That’s something that we need to work on, those of us who are deeply engaged in and care about higher education, because I think when one looks with as much objectivity as possible, the truth is, and it’s always been, that higher education contributes substantially.
Q: You’ve led two historically black colleges for women. What is the role of special mission institutions?
In my view, we still need special mission institutions. Remember Brandeis, Notre Dame, and Brigham Young are special mission institutions.
With respect to historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), not every African American wants to or does go to an HBCU. The same is true of women and women’s colleges. But for those who wish that kind of education, and if the fit is right, it’s almost magical.
I think it is as basic as having an entire community believe that you can. On these campuses, we believe that black students can do whatever they set their minds to do. On the women’s campuses, we believe that women can reach heights that have not been imagined for women.
HBCUs are not totally free of racism. Women’s colleges are not utopias where there are no expressions of gender inequality or sexism. But they come far closer than at our predominately white and co-ed institutions.
Q: One of the big issues with higher education now is cost. How do we solve the affordability problem?
The affordability question is highly complex and serious. James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed that is not faced.” I believe that this is a perfect example. Colleges and universities are not just raising tuitions so they can make big profits. Pell grants are no longer at least a reasonable response to the affordability question.
We’ve got to figure this out because, in a democracy, accessibility to education is fundamental. The idea that something as precious, as powerful, as a solid education is only accessible to some and not to others, is an assault upon democracy.
Q: You came out of retirement to lead the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Why was the draw so strong?
I’ve managed, systematically, to get a failing grade in retirement.
I grew up in the South, in the days of legalized segregation—you could also call it state-sponsored racism. I didn’t have access to symphony halls. I didn’t have access to art museums. I still remember the library that I went to in order to travel the world through books, was the A. L. Lewis Colored Public Library.
As a young girl, I fell in love with the visual arts, especially African and African-American art. I went off to Fisk University at age 15 and began to see the real works of art for which we only had reproductions in my home. From Fisk, I went to Oberlin, where the Allen Memorial Art Gallery was a special place of solace for me
The opportunity with the Smithsonian wasn’t something I sought; I was asked to apply. My doctorate is in anthropology, not art history, so I was reluctant, but they told me they were looking for a leader, not an art historian. It was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. The work was an almost indescribable joy.
Generally, our museums across America do not reflect who America is, nor do they reflect how our world looks. They need to be far more diverse in terms of their boards, staff, exhibitions, educational programs, and visitorship.
What the African art museum has is a unique opportunity because it can speak to something that binds us together. If one is human, just go back far enough, I mean way back, and we have all come from a single place. It is called Africa.
Here’s a museum that says to its visitors, “No matter who you are, by race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability or disability, or nationality, come to a place where the visual arts connect you to the very cradle of humanity.”
During those eight years when I had the joy of being the director of the National Museum of African Art, I would greet our visitors by saying “Welcome home! Welcome to a place that presents the diverse and dynamic, the exquisite arts of Africa, humanity’s original home.”
Q: Do you think that our education and cultural institutions are properly valued in our society?
I have to say no. Because if we did, we would take better care of them. If we did, we would make sure that not some but all of our educational institutions from kindergarten through post-secondary education, into graduate and professional schools, have the means to do what needs to be done.
If we really value all of our cultural expressions, whether it’s dance or music, visual arts, theater, when there is a budget shortfall, we wouldn’t say, “These are the first things to go.” We wouldn’t say, “Kids can do without music in their public school.” It’s one thing to say we love an institution; it’s another to care for and protect an institution. I think we can do far better.
IMAGES
VIDEO