Dive Brief:
- A new study commissioned by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found less than 60% of colleges or universities require at least one class in seven core areas of civics, foreign language, basic STEM (math and science), writing or literature as a part of undergraduate curriculum.
- The lack of engagement in these areas, according to the survey, puts students at a disadvantage in knowledge about governance and deprives them of basic workforce skills.
- Skeptics say the report does not account for specific offerings in these key areas, with Hillsdale College Provost David Whalen noting to The Washington Times that the metrics do give more weight to educational breadth than depth.
Dive Insight:
The survey, seemingly, does not account for the missions of a variety of schools, the approved and accredited offering of certain classes for certain majors, and the notion that much of the curriculum advocated for within the report is content offered at the high school level.
But beyond that, it lends itself to additional questions about how college and the workforce work together to create an industrially-prepared employee. There's the effort to make the well-rounded, worldly person and the goal of helping graduates to find jobs. The wealthy can do both, but most of Americans have to pick the latter to be successful in society.