Nothing is more terrifying for most students than putting in four years of hard work, countless hours of studying, and thousands of dollars into a college education, just to find out that it might have been for nothing.
The research from “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” by sociologists Richard Arum from New York University and Josipa Roksa from the University of Virginia, involved more than 2,300 undergraduates and found that 36 percent of college students show no significant improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the time they graduate.
Matt Melvin, the assistant vice provost for student success, doesn’t see this as a problem for the University of Kansas.
“On average, the curricular and co-curricular experience provided to an engaged student provides them with an opportunity to develop skills necessary to succeed in the new work environment,” Melvin said.
Cody Alley, a junior from Lawrence, is in the UKanTeach programand helped teach a class at Central Jr. High his first year at the University. He said that while his experience teaching was only a glimpse into the real world, the hands on experience provided him with the basic skills he would need in the work place.
While some students may still be lacking a few skills, employers in the area are usually impressed with KU graduates. Kristin Gibbar, the Global staffing manager at Black and Veatch in Overland Park, said that of all the schools they recruit from in the Kansas City area, on average they see the best results from the University.
“KU students are good at the technical side as far as their specific discipline,” Gibbar said.
Phyllis Stevens, the human resources manager at Bernstein-Rein, a large advertising company in Kansas City, Mo., has similar views of KU graduates. She said overall the quality of applicants she received from KU was pretty high. The one problem Stevens encounters, not specifically from the University but recent graduates across the board, was that student lacked skills in attention to the small details such as spelling and professionalism, or the soft skills.
While the ‘Limited Learning’ study paints an unflattering image of college students, it is not critical thinking and writing skills that seem to be the main problem for KU students. Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, assistant vice provost for student success, said that in order to help distinguish oneself, students should take academically challenging courses and stay engaged.