In “College at Risk” Andrew Delbanco states that, “a College should strive to be: an aid to reflection, a place and process whereby young people take stock of their talents and passions and begin to sort out their lives in a way that is true to themselves and responsible to others”(Delbanco, 7). A College should provide its students and the world with individuals who possess critical thinking skills, who are selfless, and who have strength in their many talents. Higher education should not just be a place to go from one textbook to the next, but a place to go through a knowledge based self-reevaluation. The higher education system not only has the opportunity to shape the job markets but also an opportunity to shape the minds and behavior of society.
Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education. — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Carol Aslanian, an expert on adult learning, states that “in the decades to follow, we will witness an increasing need for highly skilled and educated workers from every class of our society, and the current education system will be responsible for preparing all Americans for the demands of the future”(Aslanian, 1). Are colleges truly providing the necessary skills for the modern day men and women? Are those who are in charge of managing the system of education meeting the intellectual demands of modern society? And are todays great thinkers being left behind? These are sobering questions in a period of anti-intellectualism. Education now, is more important than ever.
The federal government’s involvement in higher education has long been a means of sustaining the nation. It is an investment in increasing America’s power on the world stage. To be the most educated, and most innovative is key to America’s success. An intelligent society is also key to a strong democracy, which is why policy makers since the 19th century have been heavily invested in creating legislation that increases accessibility to higher education. Higher education is deeply ingrained in the American dream. The purpose it serves is among the most important to the nation.
Image: Student Raising Hand
Image: Stocked Library Shelves