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The painstaking process that concluded with the recent revision of the College’s mission statement was the occasion for many in the campus community to think about the kind of education for which Assumption stands. The question takes on a particular urgency with the pressures brought to bear by the escalating costs of higher education, and the corresponding need to seek a return on one’s investment. Those pressures do seem to tip the scales in favor of pre-professional programs and the acquisition of marketable skills. What is the place of the liberal arts in this picture? Since our relatively modest endowment translates into limited resources, these are times that call for tough decisions based on sound priorities and a clear sense of purpose. One answer to the importance of maintaining a strong set of general education requirements comes from the job experiences of our recent alums. Those who return for career nights on campus speak of two immediate advantages to a liberal arts education: Not only did it make them more attractive candidates in the hiring process, it also gave them the flexibility and adaptability needed in today’s work environment. The ability to write and speak clearly and to think critically gives potential employees a leg up on the competition, and equips them to more successfully navigate the shifting demands of their jobs. In this respect, an exposure to literature history, and natural science serves the interest of those who worry about what they will do with their education. I wonder if this kind of benefit in itself provides a sufficiently compelling rationale for a liberal education. Or, to put it differently, what does it mean to seek a return on one’s investment, and can this be accounted for on economic grounds alone? Among other things, the new mission statement speaks of education at Assumption as a matter of the mind and the heart, which seeks to lead students in the direction of thoughtful citizenship. Already this raises the bar above the pursuit of self-interest and points to the deeply human goals of Catholic liberal education. In addition to acquiring marketable skills, then, teaching and learning at Assumption encourages serious reflection on one’s political and religious responsibilities. This kind of thoughtfulness is rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the inviolable dignity of being created in the image and likeness of God. As we continue to discover the implications of the mission statement, one concern is never far from my attention. In a Catholic college that offers programs in several pre-professional areas as well as in traditional liberal arts disciplines, how does the curriculum reflect and convey a vision of learning that remains true to the anthropology implicit in the College’s motto, “Until Christ be formed in you”? Can we expect that the general education courses by themselves will be the “delivery system” for such a high goal? Or are we not obliged to ask if there is anything distinctive about studying education, or management, or accounting in keeping with the animating principles of a Catholic college? Or for that matter, how is our approach to literature and history and the social sciences informed by the breadth and depth of our religious tradition? In my experience, these questions do not yield easy or formulaic answers, but they remain at the heart of the liberating promise of a Catholic liberal education. |
The Mission