A Concerning Misalignment? Comparing Institutional and Student Perspectives on the Purposes and Goals of Completing a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree

• In Event: Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: The Completion Agenda: Finding Different Pathways

Abstract

Society expects that degree granting institutions will ensure that students develop discipline specific competence, general skills (e.g., communication, written, oral, tolerance, compassion) and dispositions (e.g., attitudes, beliefs, curiosity) at the completion of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. This roundtable discussion reviews and synthesizes institutional and student purposes and goals for pursuing higher education. A comprehensive search of the literature selected 15 peer-reviewed articles, nine books, three magazines/newspaper articles, and one policy brief published between 2000 and 2013. Results suggest that student purposes tend to be very instrumental and personal, while higher education institutions tend to have aims that are highly ideal life- and society-changing consequences. Those misalignments in purposes and goals are discussed and several recommendations on their resolutions are offered.

Authors

• Roy Y. Chan, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Gavin T. Brown, The University of Auckland

• Larry H. Ludlow, Boston College