Research Question 1: In what ways do THC alumni use liberal arts skills to achieve their primary goals. Among all liberal arts or other experiences, most demographic characteristics influenced students' thesis type.
Conclusion
We recommend that THC create opportunities to create opportunities for faculty to participate in career support. We recommend that THC track the results and contact information of its students and graduates in sufficient detail to isolate relevant subpopulations.
Introduction
While there is variation in these returns depending on the selectivity of the institution, location, and the number of STEM majors, these findings do highlight that there are both monetary and intellectual benefits to a liberal arts education. We build on previous work focused on the values of higher education in general and the links between liberal arts education and postgraduate outcomes.
Purpose of Study
A recent study by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce found that attending a liberal arts college has very tangible benefits, including a 40-year return on investment that is 25% higher than the median for all other colleges (Carnevale et al. , 2020; . Svrluga, 2020). It is important that during liberal arts education, students also build skills that employers find valuable - namely communication skills, problem-solving skills and teamwork (Roche, 2010; Pasquerella, 2019; NACE Staff, 2020).
Institutional Context
Proponents of the liberal arts argue that the broad range of skills that students build will help them succeed in a variety of first-time destinations while giving them the toolkit to succeed in an ever-changing job market (Gobble, 2019; Osgood, 2017; . Stross , 2017; Zakaria, 2015). Given the current context, we engaged in this project to unpack student perceptions of their experiences attending an honors college at a large, public institution that emphasizes a liberal arts ethos.
Research Questions
RQ1 is designed to help us understand what liberal arts skills alumni developed through liberal arts experiences and how those skills were or were not used to reach their initial destinations. RQ2 is intended to determine which liberal arts or other experiences current students participate in and the extent to which this engagement varies by student characteristics.
Definition of Terms
Previous studies in liberal arts education have specified common outcomes of liberal arts experiences, which we call liberal arts skills (Haberberger, 2018; Seifert et al., 2008; Winter et al., 1981). These competencies were officially established by THC leadership when the curriculum was redesigned in 2019, but were used implicitly by THC prior to 2019, and these liberal arts skills were taken directly from THC's student learning objectives (see attachment 3).
Literature Review
The Economic Benefits of Higher Education
Thus, the labor market returns to higher education must be at least partly skill-based and not just signaling. On the other hand, Mayhew et al. 2016) in their comprehensive review of recent higher education literature found that students' degree type and institution matter most for their labor market outcomes.
The Role of the Liberal Arts in Students’ First Destinations
Students struggle to translate their liberal arts skills into the language of the job market in resumes and interviews (Stross, 2017; Weise et al., 2018; Wells et al., 2017). In fact, liberal arts colleges with a higher share of STEM majors report higher ROI for their graduates (Carnevale et al., 2020).
Conceptual Framework and Present Study
Few studies show that students recognize and can articulate how their liberal arts skills helped them reach their first destinations. RQ1: In what ways are THC graduates using liberal arts skills to reach their first destinations.
Data & Methods
Research Question 1: In what ways are THC alumni using liberal arts skills to reach their first destinations?
Joe Deming 2018 College of Arts and Sciences Employment→1 Erica Johnson Graduate School 2018 College of Arts and Sciences Employment. Candace Jones 2019 College of Arts and Sciences Hiring→1 Tim Hill Graduate School 2019 College of Arts and Sciences Hiring.
Research Question 2: What liberal arts experiences are current THC students engaging in at NRU? Does this engagement differ by student characteristics?
Our sample was drawn from the entire population of THC students, excluding first-year students (as they had not attended THC long enough to answer many survey questions). At 74%, the percentage of white students in our sample is approximately equal to that of the target population.
Research Question 3: According to the literature and data from peer institutions, what are some best practices for preparing liberal arts students for their first
Finally, section 3 explicitly describes which specific career service offerings are available in the honors college itself. This final question "Which of the following is offered at the honors college" breaks down 20 important career support offerings as outlined by NACE.
Results
So a lot of those resume skills that I emphasized to do like congressional relations work for [where I worked] and showing that I knew about government—how government works—and I also have an Arabic skill and studied the Middle East. They noted that the interdisciplinary courses helped them find the area of interest they wanted to pursue. You know, in that case I talked more with some of my research mentors in the lab—I worked in a biology lab—so I came up with an unbiased way of finding out which schools to apply to, and then I talked with pre-med advisor..and I created this huge spreadsheet that had the school and all these attributes about it, like its location cost, MCAT, GPA, key things about it.
Overall, participants reported using certain liberal arts skills to achieve their postgraduate destinations. Although students valued their liberal arts skills, they indicated that they desired additional career support.
Research Question 2a: What liberal arts or other experiences are current THC students engaging in at NRU?
We also conducted cross-tabulations to determine whether students' intended type of thesis or types of work experience differed by their characteristics. Table 6, column 4 shows the average cumulative number of extracurricular activities students have by year in college. Table 6, column 6 shows the average total number of research terms of students by their year in college.
A one-way ANOVA was conducted to determine whether students' first intended destination influenced their thesis belief (Table 6, Column 5). However, one-way ANOVA tests revealed no statistically significant differences between levels of engagement in any liberal arts or other experiences by student race/ethnicity.
Discussion
This is an area that THC may need to strengthen to improve students' post-graduation outcomes. Working more than this amount can negatively impact students' grades and educational attainment in college (Mayhew et al., 2016; McCormick et al., 2010); thus, most THC students are unlikely to endanger themselves academically by working. Based on our findings, THC's liberal arts education supports students' engagement in the following areas: their intellectual growth, discussions on diversity topics.
The impact of student characteristics (ie, their gender, race/ethnicity, year in college, university/NRU school, number of hours completed, Pell status, first-generation status, and intended first destination) on their engagement is discussed in relation to the literature. below. The college/school of NRU is related both to the planned type of thesis of the students and to their research collaboration.
Limitations
Finally, the very small sample size for some of our demographic subgroups may affect the reliability of our between-group comparisons. To complete the benchmarking study, we relied on the information publicly available on each institution's website. It is possible that these web pages are not fully representative of what programming and support is actually available.
Furthermore, it is challenging to fully judge how powerful these offerings are and whether students are actually using the available resources listed on the website. To fully understand the nuances of career support for honors college students, in-depth interviews with students, faculty, staff, and alumni at each institution will be required.
Recommendations
- Narrate THC’s Value-Add
- Enhance Career Support for Students
- Facilitate Faculty Buy-In for Career Support
- Increase Diversity and Support for Diverse Students within THC
- Track THC Student and Alumni Outcomes and Contact Information
As such, it is not surprising that many liberal arts faculty may balk at the idea of providing career support to their students. The professional skills recommended here do not replace the liberal arts skills that THC offers its students. On the contrary, they help students see and articulate the value of their liberal arts skills even more clearly (Koerner, 2018).
Furthermore, it confirms that liberal arts skills can be cultivated outside of the traditional liberal arts environment. In fact, it is often these liberal arts experiences, not their type of institution, that most influence student outcomes (Pascarella et al., 2005).
An examination of higher education faculty buy-in to competency-based education [Ed.D., University of West Georgia]. Career preparation and the liberal arts: CIC project on the future of independent higher education. Retrieved April 2, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/liberal-arts-education-waste-of-money-or-practical-investment-studies-conclusions-might-surprise-you.
Appendices
THC Logic Model
Their project is part of a study examining honors college students' experience with liberal arts education and career preparation and the. As you may recall, this research is part of a study examining honors college students' experience with liberal arts education and career preparation. How did you identify your graduate options (eg, through college resources, through internships/volunteer work/former employer, the dissertation process, family and friends, or a formal job search).
If you remember, what experiences from college did you find most valuable to discuss in your interview. This survey is part of a study examining honors college students' experience with liberal arts education and career preparation.
THC Student Survey
How often have you interacted with student affairs professionals (non-academic support staff at the college, eg first year adviser, residence hall staff, career counsellor, student union or campus activities staff) as described below. How many terms (including summer) have you participated in extracurricular research (eg working in a research laboratory, an institute or with a professor). How often have you visited the Career Services office during your time at this university.
Which of the following career support programs and services (through the university or your college/department) have you participated in? The individual is able to assess and control his/her emotions and those of others;
