If the demise of computer science is any lesson, it’s that “workforce alignment” just means glutting a labor market into submission. The skilled trades know better than this, fortunately. I hope we never hear “learn to plumb!” with the same gimmicky fervor as “learn to code!”
One might view Purdue's Cornerstone program as an effort to square this circle: it features "transformative texts" (i.e. great books) within the context of required writing & speech courses. It's not aimed at the liberal arts majors so much as engineering, technology, and now management students – i.e. the "workforce alignment" programs. A thin veneer of classical education, arguably, but dozens of colleges and universities have studied the model.
I am going to bet on workforce alignment, just because it is a more populist project and this is a populist moment. The Western Civ nostalgists don't really have a clear message about just *who* they want their "classical" education to be for. But back when (something more like) their vision held greater sway, the percentage of people who even went to college at all was much smaller. I suspect that some of the nostalgists more or less secretly want to restore that exclusivity, while others just have not reckoned with what it would take to make the "classical" vision scale to the masses.
In any case, the natural audience for "down with DEI, back to the Great Books" is much smaller than that for "down with DEI, teach people real stuff so they can get a real job" and I think the incentives that creates are probably too powerful to resist.
Your final paragraph hints at what is, I think, an even deeper issue that threatens higher ed as a whole: the debate between credentialing and "proof of work." Many larger corporations (I work at one) are looking to jettison credentialing requirements in favor of "show me you can do the work." Given higher ed costs, I imagine increasing numbers of students will take the risk of avoiding the degree, or doing a two-year associate's at the local community college. More & more career paths are moving the way of apprenticeship + guilds.
This doesn't make the need for the liberal arts any less urgent or fundamental. Just that more people may get there via Catherine Project, libraries, etc. than via college.
The failures of higher education are very similar to those of the Democratic Party recently (very recently) and the solutions are much the same:
After the election the Democratic Party (my party) must rethink many of its policies as it ponders its future.
To be entrusted with power again Democrats must start listening to the concerns of the working class for a change. As a lifelong moderate Democrat I share their disdain for many of the insane positions advocated by my party.
Democrat politicians defy biology by believing that men can actually become women and belong in women’s sports, rest rooms, locker rooms and prisons and that children should be mutilated in pursuit of the impossible.
They believe borders should be open to millions of illegals which undermines workers’ wages and the affordability of housing when we can’t house our own citizens.
They discriminate against whites, Asians and men in a vain effort to counter past discrimination against others and undermine our economy by abandoning merit selection of students and employees.
Democratic mayors allow homelessness to destroy our beautiful cities because they won't say no to destructive behavior. No you can’t camp in this city. No you can’t shit in our streets. No you can’t shoot up and leave your used needles everywhere. Many of our prosecutors will not take action against shoplifting unless a $1000 of goods are stolen leading to gangs destroying retail stores. They release criminals without bond to rob and murder again.
The average voter knows this is happening and outright reject our party. Enough.
If the demise of computer science is any lesson, it’s that “workforce alignment” just means glutting a labor market into submission. The skilled trades know better than this, fortunately. I hope we never hear “learn to plumb!” with the same gimmicky fervor as “learn to code!”
One might view Purdue's Cornerstone program as an effort to square this circle: it features "transformative texts" (i.e. great books) within the context of required writing & speech courses. It's not aimed at the liberal arts majors so much as engineering, technology, and now management students – i.e. the "workforce alignment" programs. A thin veneer of classical education, arguably, but dozens of colleges and universities have studied the model.
Not economically sustainable, as I understand it — it was funded initially by external funders (Teagle?) and those funds are running out…
I am going to bet on workforce alignment, just because it is a more populist project and this is a populist moment. The Western Civ nostalgists don't really have a clear message about just *who* they want their "classical" education to be for. But back when (something more like) their vision held greater sway, the percentage of people who even went to college at all was much smaller. I suspect that some of the nostalgists more or less secretly want to restore that exclusivity, while others just have not reckoned with what it would take to make the "classical" vision scale to the masses.
In any case, the natural audience for "down with DEI, back to the Great Books" is much smaller than that for "down with DEI, teach people real stuff so they can get a real job" and I think the incentives that creates are probably too powerful to resist.
Yet I don’t see a lot of attention to efficiency or workforce in this piece, for example. https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2024-11-22/the-right-wingification-of-ut/
I agree with you on who wins yes. The classical liberal education advocates are small but do have microphones though.
Your final paragraph hints at what is, I think, an even deeper issue that threatens higher ed as a whole: the debate between credentialing and "proof of work." Many larger corporations (I work at one) are looking to jettison credentialing requirements in favor of "show me you can do the work." Given higher ed costs, I imagine increasing numbers of students will take the risk of avoiding the degree, or doing a two-year associate's at the local community college. More & more career paths are moving the way of apprenticeship + guilds.
This doesn't make the need for the liberal arts any less urgent or fundamental. Just that more people may get there via Catherine Project, libraries, etc. than via college.
Do any Republican (or Democrat) fans of “workforce alignment” refer to the actual workforce, or are they just skimming LinkedIn?
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/most-new-jobs.htm
The failures of higher education are very similar to those of the Democratic Party recently (very recently) and the solutions are much the same:
After the election the Democratic Party (my party) must rethink many of its policies as it ponders its future.
To be entrusted with power again Democrats must start listening to the concerns of the working class for a change. As a lifelong moderate Democrat I share their disdain for many of the insane positions advocated by my party.
Democrat politicians defy biology by believing that men can actually become women and belong in women’s sports, rest rooms, locker rooms and prisons and that children should be mutilated in pursuit of the impossible.
They believe borders should be open to millions of illegals which undermines workers’ wages and the affordability of housing when we can’t house our own citizens.
They discriminate against whites, Asians and men in a vain effort to counter past discrimination against others and undermine our economy by abandoning merit selection of students and employees.
Democratic mayors allow homelessness to destroy our beautiful cities because they won't say no to destructive behavior. No you can’t camp in this city. No you can’t shit in our streets. No you can’t shoot up and leave your used needles everywhere. Many of our prosecutors will not take action against shoplifting unless a $1000 of goods are stolen leading to gangs destroying retail stores. They release criminals without bond to rob and murder again.
The average voter knows this is happening and outright reject our party. Enough.
XXX