UR Guarantee: Liberal Arts Friend or Foe?

I might take on a contentious issue in this blog entry, but fuck it, here I go.

There is some debate about what the UR Guarantee Program, a academic/career success program offered by the University of Regina means for the job market and the direction students pursue when entering the University. One point of view is that the UR Guarantee does nothing more than drive the misconception that university is job training, and will only drive students in to "professional" fields such as business or engineering. I'd argue that this program doesn't do that, but rather opens the door to liberate the career-minded to pursue their academic passions within the liberal and fine arts by helping assuage the fear of failure.

Every week in my job, I work with students who are exploring their options for post-secondary education. Some of these students are completely certain what they want to study and where they see themselves. Others have no idea what they want to study, or even if there is anything in a university to strike their interest. I also meet many students who are under pressure from their parents to choose a "career minded" academic program: one that may make them financially prosperous, not one that will make them happy, engaged and passionate for the world around them. The conversations typically begin something like this:

Parent: Benji is interested in anthropology, but that's not going to get him anywhere, so he wants to apply to business.
Cue Phil looking Benji square in the eye to ascertain who actually wants him to choose Business.
Phil: That's actually a common concern. I think I can help us meet somewhere in the middle. Are you familiar with our UR Guarantee Program?

It's at this point that that I go on to (a.) explain the purpose of the UR Guarantee Program, and (b.) explain the value of a liberal arts education. My persuasive powers have, in almost all instances, won the parent over to see that their child can both develop the critical/analytical/communication skills needed for career success while pursuing their academic passions without judgement.

The fundamental theoretical framework that informs most professional programs: business, engineering, education, healthcare, etc draws directly from the sciences and arts. In business, where did the core of consumer behaviour theory originate from? Psychology, history and sociology, of course. Consumer behaviour theory is at the core of advertising and marketing. From that marketing research, a decision may be made on mechanical refinements to be made by an engineer to a product which will increase sales. The impact of those increased sales will touch the company's finance department, which engages a number of economists, each with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics hanging on their walls.

Let's play out another scenario of whimsy. A prison is dealing with issues of overcrowding, rioting and inmate disobedience. While engineers and architects may be able to refine space usage to overcome issues of crowding and to reduce the potential of a riot breaking out, it's the pragmatists of social research, psychology, sociology and other liberal arts area who will be called on to innovate and propose solutions for treatment and rehabilitation.

More examples abound us every day, from the journalists who write and research our news to our politicians, authors of public policy, and many leaders of major organisations. Their business savvy, their communication skills, and their drive came from the liberal arts.The arts inform and shape our world around us, they inform other professional and academic disciplines, and they are at the core of most that we see and do each day. It's high time we re-prioritise the liberal arts and recognise the economic impact that they have on our world.