"[Undergraduate education] ought to produce critical thinkers, scientifically and culturally literate people who can assess evidence, connect the dots and communicate with clarity – the key skills, that, in a fast-changing economy, prepare people for the jobs that haven't been invented yet." (The Globe And Mail Editorial)
This is one line out of a recent Global and Mail editorial that calls for quality measures and accountability in undergraduate education in Canada. In it they recite various statistics, anecdotes and opinions that point to "getting less for more" at university in Canada.
One of the best kept secrets in post-secondary, however, is that some institutions offer a great undergraduate educational experience. The faculty focus on teaching as the key task. But they don't neglect developing and maintaining a vibrant scholarly life that feeds and informs their classrooms. But then the learning circle is completed by inviting the students to become part of that research, working side-by-side with faculty in research, paper writing (even publishing as co-authors), conference presentations.
The programs that these students pursue are built on a foundation of historical, literary, philosophical and theological literacy. They are stretched so that, regardless of chosen major, all students must study fine arts or languages, social sciences and natural science. In all these classes students are asked to bring their whole selves, not just the intellectual box, into the classroom. More emphatically, however, each term these students are called to integrate the wide areas of study to speak into and out of major life and societal questions in a 2 day conference.
In their chosen major they are drawn into both breadth and depth in their discipline, preparing them with a basis for employment or further study. Equipped with this broad base but with deep questions, many go on to graduate study only to learn that they have begun asking the questions and taking the approaches of grad school even as their finish their undergraduate study. Employers tell us that they appreciate these students who become their employees; the most common response is "send us more, please!"
And throughout their study these students are called to connect their deepest beliefs with that study -- having their faith inform their study and their study inform their faith. Instead of seeing their faith as putting a fence around what they might study, they are pushed to take their faith into the study of all things. Whether students share the Christian perspective of their faculty, or whether they bring another faith commitment (or no faith commitment) they are called to find a deep resonance in all areas of life.
I am writing, of course, about my own institution. As a Christian university, I am confident that we are delivering the educational experience that the Globe and Mail's editorial calls for and more. Yes, like other Christian universities in Canada we are more expensive than fully funded universities. We do receive an operating grant from the government, but as that is a fraction of what fully funded institutions receive our tuition must be higher (and our salaries lower!).
But I am happy to defend the quality of education received by our students. A quality confirmed by internal and external reviews and graduate surveys. And a quality that is an awfully good reason to choose a Christian university.
