What happened to "academic advisors"?
Back-in-the-day they were the link between what students did in the classroom, the classes they took, the academic tracks they followed and the "market" for graduates.
There is a huge amount of angst as new college graduates cannot find jobs. Not only that but recent graduates are among the first to lose their jobs as A.I. starts doing the least complex tasks; tasks that are typically assigned to less experienced employees.
Even in the 1980s it was understood that the "degree" you graduated with was not a guarantee nor was there any promise that "your" profession would exist unchanged for any meaningful amount of time.
Ergo, the better academic counselors told their students that they should not just be preparing themselves for a single profession but should be thinking in terms of transferable skill-sets.
It is my perception that students are locking-onto a single goal. They decide as freshmen that they are going to be "an actress" or something similar and then never consider any other possibilities. They refuse to consider any other job that would make substantial use of their learned skill-sets and their innate talents. They would rather be an "actress" working at Starbucks than a salesperson making $99k a year.
They are INSULTED if you "kill their dream" by suggesting that the odds of actually making a living as an actress is a very long shot. After all, magical thinking is entirely dependent on "Believing it intensely enough" and casting any doubt on that belief poisons the magic.
Discipline
I suspect that the reason that many academic advisors are missing-in-action is that they have an improper view of discipline. They think that offering honest guidance to a student is disrespectful even though it is what they are paid to do.
Consider these words from Hebrews Chapter 12:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
Sharing harsh truths in a loving way is a form of discipline. Failing to do so is to program your student to fail in life.
Colleges are confused as to who their customer is. They think the students are the customer so we get 'rate my professor' garbage, easy courses, lax grading, and a competition who can provide the most luxurious experience. And all the excess and academic fluff is fully paid for by federal student loans.
ReplyDeleteTheir actual customers are the companies that hire their graduates measured by employment rates. What majors lead to jobs in their field, and what majors lead to being making coffee?
A 'xxx studies' major may be easy to complete but it won't lead to a decent paying job outside a few niche employers.
Colleges aren’t confused. A customer is the source of your revenue, and for colleges that’s students (and the government through grants and loans). Companies aren’t customers unless they’re the ones paying.
DeleteIf we want colleges to focus more on producing successful workers, then there needs to be a closer relationship between their revenue and student success.
Gary, I do not think that companies are fully off the hook. By requiring college degrees for positions that 10-15 years ago would not have required a degree, they indirectly fuel the idea that people should pay for college.
DeletePersonal experience is always a one off situation, but in my case when I entered my career a non-specific college degree was enough. Now, a 4 year degree in STEM is almost a universal requirement for a position which, even now, does not necessarily need a STEM degree.
Just because employers aren't the (direct) customers of colleges doesn't mean they're "off the hook" by any means.
DeleteERJ: your selection of scripture has caused me to raise my hand and ask...
ReplyDelete"If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards." with another take from NIV (same spot): "If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all."
Sobering perspective (hoping I am wrong) - "..not true sons and daughters..." sure seems that salvation is lost, the way I read it, doesn't it? By accepting Jesus we become children of God, yet that translation sure reads that we lose that relationship by not accepting the discipline of our Father...
I would read it a little differently. We become joint heirs with Jesus thru salvation, so we should expect discipline when we rebel. God gives discipline, and as the Perfect Father, the discipline is tailored. If we refuse to repent, He will increase the heat. I reckon He may even beat the recalcitrant to death at some point (Samson?), but His child is His child. Salvation is too expensive to waste, so He disciplines the saved. He is able to save to the uttermost, those that come to Him. My point of view from my studies, and I may be very wrong. We'll know more after our Graduation Day.
DeleteI was struck by the secular word "bastard". In common usage, a bastard lacks social skills involving the intricacies of honor, respect, relationships and shades-of-gray.
DeleteIn soccer we strive to teach the player to have many, soft touches on the ball to always keep it close to their feet. A child growing up without discipline is launched ballistically from one harsh, unmitigated consequence to the next. It is a brutal way to grow up. It is a brutal way to live as an adult.
Discipline is the root word of disciple. Not only in the Christian level but in the martial arts a disciple is under the discipline of the dojo.
DeleteThe Bible is full of scriptures that if you love your child, you must discipline him. Also, as some deem discipline a "Bad thing" it calls for Fathers not to exasperate your children and Husbands and Wives loving each other like they love their own body.
Hebrews 12:5-6
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. / For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”
Some how students think that there are vast numbers of jobs for media influencers and aroma therapists and such. One or two may get jobs out of thousands. Same for hockey players 10000 try out and even after working hard still don't hit the NHL. Over supply and no talent. By the time I had just finished my 3rd year apprenticeship I was making more that the teacher who taught me English in school. Even my Trade school instructors had to work shutdowns in the off season to make ends meet. BTW, they taught because they like the idea of passing along the knowledge. But eventually the teachers union screw with them too and forced them to go back and get(snort cough spit) a teaching certificate. When I finished work I had 30 yrs of construction experience, two tickets, Red seal on 1 and worked in 7 different trade since high school. I owned my own company and grossed more than my Dr. Started losing contracts to "Engineers" who couldn't build a doghouse, But and it's a big butt, the companies wanted a paper engineer to have on staff in that position. I told him "Fill your boots" Never worked since.
ReplyDeleteI retired a few years ago from a large international construction company, oh the stories I could tell of DEI hires promoted at 3x the typical speed until they were two full pay grades above those actually competent technical professionals. Of course it came down to the 30ish female department manager insisting that the 50 yr. Old male Professional Engineer stamp all the documents, HA! The gig was up when the P.E walked out the door one Friday afternoon.
DeleteAnon - that reminds me of an experience back in the early days of "affermative action" hiring policies in the late 1970s. I was on a training course in the UK with a black guy from the Cincinnati labs of the company, and over drinks he related how much he hated those policies. It made him feel like the token hire in the US, and he was relieved not to be treated like that in the UK. He was actually a very smart cookie, but held back by everyone treating him like the token that could be ignored.
DeleteLong ago when I started college I came to the conclusion that if Academic Advisors knew what they were doing Academic Advisors wouldn't have that job.---ken
ReplyDeleteYep. Back in the before times I became a mean, dumb, unsupportive dad when I told my daughter there was no future in a fine arts diploma from a no-name community college.
ReplyDeleteMy in laws charged, told me to STFU, they told my daughter that all education is GOOD education, and she just needed to follow her dreams. I think the parents need to step up because it is the plight of our kids today: the kids are walking ‘nothings’… and the parents blame the teachers, and the teachers blame the parents.
The best person to see to your kud’s education and advise them is you.
I remember the words of my first college advisor. Much of her words began with, 'Why are taking that class?', or, 'This class leads to a deadend.'
ReplyDeleteYou know, FORTRAN, COBOL, anything marine centric (since I was 8 yrs, I wanted to be an oceanographer). I was taking classes aligned with getting into Scripps to follow my heroes Willard Bascom and Ricky Griggs and to work beside them. That wretched advisor disabused me of my dream. Bitterly disappointed, I dropped out and went to work full time.
Going back to college a few yrs later, I listened to none but a few select professors. They were into their sunset, had gobs of real world experience, not spawn of the ivory towers. I got my degrees, but in different disciplines.
The lesson I had learned was to pull yourself up. Double your focus and drive. Be discerning of who you heed.
I shared the blame. I was young and immature and very sensitive to criticism of that which I had invested much time to create. Too easily swayed.
DeleteI watched my charismatic singer friend (the sort who could play at any party and get a crowd around him) go to Julliard for a "evaluation" and come home crushed.
DeleteHe ended up working for an insurance company or some such. What a waste of talent.
I am not fully sure what intended to do when I got out of college, but am reasonably certain that work in a shared office space ("cubicle' is so 2019) was not on the list.
DeleteSociety - or at least parts of society - have also done their best to denigrate the idea of the dignity and value of labour. "Work" is too often only dignified if it has a college degree associated with it.
ReplyDeleteI've been sending resumes for 2 years now. I think you have it inverted? Employers are looking for unicorns, and respond to nothing else. I've applied to dozens of jobs I was over-qualified for, nary a response from any of them.
ReplyDeleteThe pendulum is beginning to swing the other way now.