Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com August 17, 2015 • Worcester Business Journal 13 W hen Babson College came in first in Money Magazine's 2014 college rankings for educational value, beating out main- stays such as Harvard, it served notice to academia that the trade- and career- focused schools that had been per- ceived as ankle-biters to the established big dogs had drawn blood. The traditional college education has been shaken since 2009 by new termi- nology in educational reviews: return on investment, job placement, and out- comes. These were shocking terms when applied to institutions that prided themselves on the prominence of some professors or how many tennis courts they had. While many of those schools have added majors or shifted at least part of their focus to accommodate this shift, other liberal arts institu- t i o n s h a v e remained faithful to their missions. In Worcester, Holy C r o s s a n d Assumption are both committed to the traditional lib- eral arts educa- tion, and in fact are seeing even more value in it. "The liberal arts (education) provides students with skills that are transferrable and flexible," Assumption College President Francesco Cesareo said. "A company or business will be able to teach someone how they want them to do something in a particular setting." Liberal arts = more options This wide focus also offers a wide range of employment options, he said, rather than pigeon-holing students with a tighter focus on one or two paths. With college graduates engaging in more than one career over their working lives, a liberal arts education, in the long run, allows students to fit into career options they cannot imagine today, Margaret Freije, vice president for academic affairs at Holy Cross, said. For example, jobs dealing with social media or the Internet could not have been anticipated 25 years ago. A student educated in the liberal arts becomes a jack-of-all-trades ready to fit into a new career, she said. Students can think, learn and express thoughts in ways in which a more focused educa- tion can leave them lacking. It also worked out for Assumption graduate Carolyn Clancy, an executive vice president at Fidelity Investments in Boston. Her liberal arts education pro- vided her with a flexible degree that did not force her onto one specific career path, allowing her to work in different roles throughout her career. "The jobs and roles we have today are going to be incredibly different than what is going to be available in five years, 10 years and 20 years," she said. Employers need people who can communicate, think critically and be good learners, Clancy said. Importantly, liberal arts also give students a varied perspective on the different cultures of the world. "Increasingly, every firm is global and we have to be thinking about a global perspective," she said. "Everybody has employees all over the world and clients all over the world." But getting a student into his or her first job after graduation is key, Cesareo and Freije say. In the wake of the empha- sis on outcomes, the two schools have placed additional emphasis on intern- ships and networking with alumni. HC program focuses on financial literacy Holy Cross has also created the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies (COES) certificate program. While not a major or minor, this focus allows anyone to become financially literate through a series of workshops, an internship, and three suggested courses from a broad list. By giving students an understanding of business, it allows liberal arts majors to articulate and apply their skills in jobs they pursue after college, said David Chu, director of entrepreneurial studies at Holy Cross. "The program is a bridge. It is designed to bridge the liberal arts Holy Cross education to their career on the other side," he said. "This major is not going to determine a career, so we don't want an art history major to think the only option is working in a museum … we have history majors who are COES (students) and we have classics majors who are bankers on Wall Street, so we want to encourage students pursuing any career they want." Clark University has taken a different approach, launching the Liberal Education and Effective Practice (LEEP) program that pairs students' >> E D U C AT I O N Stand by your plan Amid an increased emphasis on the value a college degree delivers, liberal arts strongholds such as Holy Cross and Assumption stay the course BY SAM BONACCI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Assumption President Francesco Cesareo believes liberal arts back up many careers. June 2014: FSU announces plans to convert the Wallace Civic Center's Landry Arena to a year-round recreational facility, open to the public. April 2015: New FSU criminal justice concentration launches in conjunction with the state Municipal Police Training Committee. April 2015: FSU and Fitchburg Art Museum sign collaboration agreement. May 2015: CVS purchases land off Main Street near FSU for new store. Recent Fitchburg State collaborations with its community "The former president did a phenom- enal job there, and we're very excited about the new president," Nascimento said. Wong, who is finishing her last term as mayor since she's not seeking reelec- tion, said that, even though they will only have a brief overlapping period in their respective positions, she and Lapidus hope to get new projects off the ground before the next mayor takes office. Already, Wong said, the university is working with the city in a number of ways, including hosting a class on public policy that invites local elected officials to give guest lectures. She said Lapidus responded well to these kinds of ideas. "He seemed very excited about all the things we have going on between the city and university right now and made a very strong verbal commitment," she said. Wong said the new CVS on Main Street, scheduled to open in the fall, should draw more students downtown to make quick purchases they otherwise would have to drive to get. "We anticipate a lot more foot traffic," she said. Business background FSU has also launched other kinds of collaborative efforts in recent months. In early April, the university announced a new criminal justice concentration offered in conjunction with the state's Municipal Police Training Committee. The program lets students complete bachelor's and master's degrees and complete police academy training in five years. Later that same month, FSU and the Fitchburg Art Museum reached an agreement to offer free admission to the museum for the university's stu- dents and staff, offering consultation and support for the museum from FSU, and establishing plans to collaborate on cultural festivals and projects. One reason local leaders say they have confidence in Lapidus is his strong >> Continued on Page 15 >> Continued on Page 15

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