The Four Dilemmas

We will explore the following four dilemmas from the points-of-view of many stakeholders including government, community, administrators, faculty, and students.

  • disciplinary education vs. liberal education
  • physical environment vs. virtual environment
  • curricular learning vs. extra-curricular learning
  • institutional/professional autonomy vs. public accountability

These dilemmas were chosen because they are common to many of us, they are important to many stakeholders of higher education, and they represent the range of dilemmas we face.

The descriptions and questions which follow of are preliminary characterizations of each dilemma given to reveal some of the dimensions, issues, and tensions that surround them.  They are a starting point for discussion, debate, critical analysis and synthesis. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of each dilemma so we are thoughtful and courageous in our decisions.  

Disciplinary education vs. Liberal education
A classic liberal education addresses the whole person, helping them start to acquire a broad but deepened understanding of the world, of citizenship and of society. The tenets of a liberal education are about engaging students in a well-rounded way to be flexible, creative, aware, and capable of seeing the larger perspective. On the other hand, disciplinary education is a focused education, with a confined learning outcome that often relates to a specific career role. Disciplinary education is often associated with the professions, but a degree in history, or the classics could be described as equally focussed and disciplinary.

 Are these characterizations accurate? Complete? What role do universities and colleges play in these areas?  Should career aspirations and the corporate demands shift our programs?   Which type of education is best?  How do we choose?

Physical environment vs. Virtual environment
We hear about the emphasis on physical infrastructure and the millions required to keep crumbling buildings in shape for teaching.  How much difference does the physical environment make to successful learning?  Where should the investments be made? On the other hand, today’s students live in an increasingly virtual world, and they are often disappointed by their school’s lack virtual connectivity.  If the students are most familiar with a virtual environment, why are we forcing them to operate in traditional physical spaces?  Perhaps the next round of infrastructure investments should be made in building the virtual social networking environment rather than bricks and mortar.

Curricular learning vs. Extra-curricular learning
We spend much time carefully crafting the ‘ideal’ curricula that will lead to a set of learning outcomes of our graduates acquire and demonstrate.  The curriculum is often filled with rigorous content and with the skills necessary to deal with that body of content.  But students spend only part of their college or university experience in the classroom dealing with the formal curriculum. Should we be looking more seriously at the extra-curricular part of student life and what students are getting out of that side of their education?  Is it important that the two sides remain operating independently with their own goals and missions? How do we help all students deal with both of these elements?

Institutional/professional autonomy vs. Public accountability
Academic freedom gives the instructor the right to direct their own classes toward the learning they think best. That level of freedom is sometimes frustrated by a department’s need for a holistic curriculum or for a program’s need to fulfill required learning outcomes.  Insistence by professional accreditation boards that only PhD’s with their respective professional designation teach students further erodes the autonomy educators and programs desire.   These issues constrain autonomy and limit educational development.   Is there a corporate, governmental, or professional agenda that must be resisted?

 On the other hand, where does accountability reside?   Should the institutions be more accountable to a public that pays a significant portion of the educational expense?  Should instructors be more accountable to their students, programs, their university and the public? Where does/should  control, responsibility, and accountability reside at all levels of higher education?  And how should we be structured to ensure success?