Inside Higher Ed. sort of launches into this whole dichotomy of how liberal arts colleges seem to be losing their soul to business school mentalities. Nothing you haven't heard before, but here's the article in all its glory. The real question is where the heck was this article several months ago.
Here are the paragraphs mentioning our dear school.
Other new programs launched and launching at Claremont McKenna and Oberlin Colleges in recent months – also, like Spelman’s, made possible by significant infusions of external funding — appropriate various aspects of the four approaches, although in these cases eschewing the “business major” or minor for other curricular and co-curricular emphases on business and financial skills.
Claremont McKenna, for instance, received a landmark $200 million gift in September to start the Robert Day Scholars program. Day scholars, who will be selected as juniors, will receive scholarship support and complete an undergraduate course of study involving two semesters each in accounting, finance and organizational leadership, as well as participate in co-curricular activities like internships, workshops and networking opportunities. (Students, however, will major in other fields, be they economics or philosophy.) After graduating, the scholars will have the option of completing a planned master of finance degree — the combination billed by Claremont as “a compelling alternative to the traditional M.B.A. framework.”
“We’ll build on what we consider to be the important aspects of liberal arts education and yet give them training that’s really valuable,” says Janet Kiholm Smith, an economics professor chairing the transition/implementation committee for the program and director of the Financial Economics Institute at Claremont McKenna.
4 comments:
1. CMC doesn't have a business major - there is a finance sequence. Even if you have interests in business and try to take a ton of business classes, general education requirements ensure that you leave CMC with a diverse distribution of classes under your belt. The current Robert A. Day program serves a small percentage of students (Less than 10) each year.
2. It's not the title of your major, it's the content. At some schools, English and Literature majors dwell on the technical aspects of a writing or teaching career. At liberal arts colleges, these majors are exposed to a wide variety of literature and given the opportunity to learn skills that will enhance all learning and career opportunities. CMC has a commitment to giving students liberal arts educations. Actually, most of the student hooplah over the past few years has been about how CMC is losing its technical/pragmatic elements to abroad and meaningless liberal arts focus.
3. This will be VERY small program. Most faculty members I've spoken to think that this program will bring less than 15 students per year in the short-term and little more than that in the long-term. If you look at professors in the leadership positions the econ department, they are academic social scientists. They are looking for new economics professors that will delve into the theoretical and pragmatic aspects of finance and offer students classes that combine practical information with rigorous academic training.
Candace,
Well put. I find the opposition just a little silly.
1. CMC has the option of a 4+1 MBA with CGU. They also have 3+2 with Mudd for Engineering. The General Education Requirements at CMC are very different from those at other LAC's. CMC is one of the only LAC's not to have a Visual Arts and Music department. Why? In my opinion, we are not a regular liberal arts college. Why would they setup another Pomona right next to Pomona? We were created as a self selecting institution with a niche in Economics, Government and Leadership. The Day Program further enhances that.
2. CMC has a commitment to uphold the core values and foundations of this college, which were explicitly stated on their website, catalogue and other documents to prospective students, professors, donors etc. The 'hooplah' is that our president is venturing in areas that are not our strengths. The Day program actually stopped our movement away from core foundations. As CJ mentioned, her commitment is to Social Entrepreneurship and increasing our position on Rankings. This is problematic in my opinion.
3. The program will have 11 students in the first year. Based on the progress and evaluations, the number would be increased annually. It is estimated that in four years, there would be about 35-45 students enrolled in the program. I don't understand what you mean by academic social scientists. If that refers to academics with PHD's teaching fields of Economics, a social science, then you are correct. However, CMC professors emphasize on applied areas of Economics unlike, the University of Chicago, for example or Pomona College, which specializes in Labor Economics. A majority of CMC Econ Faculty work in Economics-Law, credit flows, Interest & Exchange Rates and Foreign Debt.
I still don't get your point. What are you against?
My opinion - I'm not sure how the large grant is going to work out. I can see it being a positive or a negative thing.
I like CMC's 'pragmatic' focus. Unlike what most people say, I don't see evidence that Pam Gann is trying to change us into a Pomona-like liberal arts college. She talks about social entrepreneurship because we've always been about leadership, and social entrepreneurship is the buzz word in leadership right now. If you go on the Silicon Valley Networking Trip, take advantage of CMC's summer internships abroad, and talk to prominent leaders, they are all buzzing about social entrepreneurship projects. From Google's programs in Africa to the influence of philanthropists like Bill and Melinda Gates and Ted Turner. Her focus on this topic isn't about being liberal-artsy - it's about the leadership roles that CMCers provide around the world now and in the future. A lot of companies like the fact that CMCers are interesting people with causes and nonprofit management skills.
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