Study says broad curriculum preps students for real world

Universities should adopt broader, liberal arts-based curriculums in order to better prepare students for today's global economy, according to a report released by the Association of American Colleges and Universities earlier this month.\nThe report, College Learning for the New Global Century, was published through the Association of American Colleges and Universities' program, Liberal Education and America's Promise. Launched in 2005, LEAP strives to adjust higher education in America by making a 21st-century liberal education a reality for all college students.\nThe continued progress of global economies has made a college education necessary for nearly everyone, according to the report. With 94 percent of current American high school students hoping to attend college, the Association of American Colleges and Universities has deemed the ensuing decade to be critical in the nation's educational development.\nAccording to the report, America's priorities for improving education have shifted away from defining what contemporary college graduates need to know and be able to do. Instead, policy makers have focused on making college available, affordable and achievable, according to the report.\nAnna Bednarski, an academic adviser for the IU Department of Biology, said she believes IU builds diverse curriculums for its students. \n"The IU College of Arts and Sciences does offer broad curriculums encouraging curiosity and a love of learning," she said. "Working with people from different educational backgrounds is always a good thing." \nThe report maintains that a liberal education is a necessity for graduates desiring to participate in a "globally engaged democracy and a dynamic, innovation-fueled economy." \nJim Brown, an academic adviser in the IU Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, believes specialized curriculums are not holding back today's college students. \n"I think the problem is that more and more students are taking the easiest way out to get through college by avoiding hard courses," he said. "I feel that we have a generation of students who are used to having other people solve problems for them."\nThe report outlines steps the nation should take in order to improve college education. Building leadership from school leaders, restructuring curriculum and defining a new basis for educational excellence are all top responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of the educational community.\nLEAP also emphasizes the importance of connecting students with prospective employers. Brown recognizes the importance of IU's role in helping to close the gap between graduates and the professional world.\n"We need to start partnering with employers to determine what skills they need and what types of courses students need to take," he said. "We need to think outside the box and see what people actually want from graduate students."\nThe report states that Americans often change jobs as many as 10 times in the two decades following high school. In an unpredictable and continually evolving job market, LEAP has determined that a graduate's ability to think critically and creatively is imperative for a successful career.\n"Helping students gain the ability to successfully deal with quantitative reasoning, communication and an international understanding of the world are all goals of our educational system," said Jim Craig, professor of psychological and brain sciences. "The problem is that it is difficult to assess how well we are doing."\nBrown views straightforward and direct relationships between faculty and students as an important ingredient to an empowering education. \n"I do think that universities can do a better job of teaching faculty how to teach," he said. "There should be more feedback from professors on student performance and clearly defined lesson objectives for each course"