News & Notes from the Provost’s Office Dear Colleagues: I am excited about this inaugural edition of the “News and Notes” from the Provost’s Office. This goal of this online newsletter is to share important information about things happening around campus that impact our faculty and community. We plan to distribute this e-newsletter twice a semester beginning in the fall. We are excited to share several ongoing initiatives and endeavors in this edition. We welcomed Dr. Jim Barnes this past year as the university ombudsman, and he shares his insights about the office. We also explain how the university’s Position Metric guides the allocation and reallocation of faculty positions, and we summarize the results of a report about liberal arts education from the AAC&U. I welcome your feedback and suggestions, and invite you to attend one of the remaining Coffees with the Provost sessions slated for this semester. Thank you for your many efforts this academic year. I hope you are having a successful spring semester. Best wishes, Lori Gonzalez
Employers Want Both Broad Knowledge and Specific Skills Which of the following ranges of knowledge and skills are more important for recent graduates who want to pursue advancement and long-term career success at your company?
• Knowledge and skills that apply to a specific field or position • A range of knowledge and skills that apply to a range of fields or positions • Both field-specific knowledge and skills and a broad range of knowledge and skills
16%
55%
29%
Source: “Liberal Arts Graduates and Employment: Setting the Record Straight” Association of American Colleges and Universities, © 2014
Spring 2014
AAC&U Released Report that Liberal Arts Education Prepares Graduates for Long-Term Professional Success College students who pursue their degree within the context of a broad liberal education substantially increase their ability to achieve long-term professional success, according to a recent study. Earlier this year, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) published a study, “How liberal arts and sciences majors fare in employment” written by Debra Humphreys and Patrick Kelly. The report compares earning trajectories and career pathways for liberal arts majors with the earnings trajectories and career pathways for those majoring in fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and professional or preprofessional fields, such as business or education. A liberal education is defined as, “An approach to college learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity and change.” Humphreys and Kelly said, “Such an education provides knowledge and skills in areas such as critical thinking, analytic reasoning, written and oral communication, complex problem solving, and quantitative reasoning.” 1