What does a college degree mean?

I am not talking about the value of one or the necessity in some career fields, I am talking about what does it mean to be a college graduate?

There are those who question the value of what is called Core at most universities. Why do they need these classes? Why not just take the ones they will need to earn a living?

There is a policy championed by many in the business world called 4C. I came across it and taught it in a class on working in the Twenty-first Century. I later learned that Microsoft recommended using it as a guide when managers were interviewing a prospective employee. It stands for Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. Each one has many skills included like know how to plan, create, and give a presentation falls in Communication as much as having good writing skills. Collaboration means more than working with one person. It means being a team member, both being able to follow and lead. Critical thinking is essential when gathering information, doing research, and evaluating what you are finding. It also plays a large role in the final term, Creativity. New ideas come from knowing how to be creative. Change demands a different way of viewing and thinking and acting. Being creative enables that ability.

In the past, having a college degree meant you had been exposed to knowledge and information you would never have encountered before. You might learn what exactly those words the politicians spout off so glibly actually mean. (And discover that some of them have no idea what they just said!) You might learn more detail on the history of our county and the philosophy that drove it. The image of a college educated individual used to mean someone who could communicate; someone who understood how the United States government worked; someone who knew that penguins only live in the southern hemisphere; and that all the world does not speak English. Yes, much of that won’t earn you a larger check, but it will stretch your brain so you can.

I am concerned that we move too quickly to abandon the liberal arts as they were called. The 4Cs are essential skills for a world that changes so quickly. What I learned 60 years ago as a college freshman has been totally overturned by newer scientific findings. The essential tools I took to my dormitory room are antiques. My granddaughter needed a laptop and takes her classes online. She would laugh at my precious portable typewriter.

Far too many people scorn the education available after high school. Being a well-rounded, thoughtful human being takes more than knowing how to code a robot or build a highway. We need these skills to function in our rapidly changing world.