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Hmm, none of these schools (and most decent schools for that matter) have their mission being about jobs. You're mixing up the purpose of college with the purpose of why people are going to college. There's a big difference.
I went to college for an education with no job in mind. I am doing just fine... just like the several other thousands of students that attended my school for the same reason.
You're quite correct. Of course, if you can get into those schools you have the smarts to be successful doing almost anything. (Yes, I know other mission statements from less prestigious institutions are similar, just wanted to point it out though).
Hmm, none of these schools (and most decent schools for that matter) have their mission being about jobs. You're mixing up the purpose of college with the purpose of why people are going to college. There's a big difference.
I went to college for an education with no job in mind. I am doing just fine... just like the several other thousands of students that attended my school for the same reason.
One of my best friends went to your college with the purpose of hitting a career (actually, it was the purpose of following into his Father's choice for a career) .... he ended up changing a few times and ended up making it through law school - but most of his moves were career oriented
The purpose of something 200+ years ago does not equate to it's purpose today - especially on a broad basis
One of my best friends went to your college with the purpose of hitting a career (actually, it was the purpose of following into his Father's choice for a career) .... he ended up changing a few times and ended up making it through law school - but most of his moves were career oriented
The purpose of something 200+ years ago does not equate to it's purpose today - especially on a broad basis
So because your friend has a purpose for attending school... that all of a sudden makes it the purpose of higher education?
That's like saying that the purpose of the internet is facebook because that's what people use the internet for.
You're quite correct. Of course, if you can get into those schools you have the smarts to be successful doing almost anything. (Yes, I know other mission statements from less prestigious institutions are similar, just wanted to point it out though).
Getting into good schools is not about being smart. Most college-bound people have the smarts. It's about being hard-working.
So because your friend has a purpose for attending school... that all of a sudden makes it the purpose of higher education?
That's like saying that the purpose of the internet is facebook because that's what people use the internet for.
Is the internet higher education?
Besides, we all know that the purpose of the internet is porn - because that is what people use the internet for and a large number of internet innovations over it's history have been directly tied to porn
All my friends who have attended Ivy schools went there for a purpose - which is only mentioned as a different story to yours about thousands of people there just for the sake of academia
In fact, if you look at those schools they don't want to produce nothing but academics ... they want leaders, titans of science, industry and arts - people who will visibly bring recognition to the masses and prestige back to the school
Things evolve over time
You posted a link to Harvard's mission statement
Quote:
Harvard College, the undergraduate program, released the following mission statement: The Mission of Harvard College
Harvard College adheres to the purposes for which the Charter of 1650 was granted: “The advancement of all good literature, arts, and sciences; the advancement and education of youth in all manner of good literature, arts, and sciences; and all other necessary provisions that may conduce to the education of the … youth of this country….” In brief: Harvard strives to create knowledge, to open the minds of students to that knowledge, and to enable students to take best advantage of their educational opportunities. To these ends, the College encourages students to respect ideas and their free expression, and to rejoice in discovery and in critical thought; to pursue excellence in a spirit of productive cooperation; and to assume responsibility for the consequences of personal actions. Harvard seeks to identify and to remove restraints on students’ full participation, so that individuals may explore their capabilities and interests and may develop their full intellectual and human potential. Education at Harvard should liberate students to explore, to create, to challenge, and to lead. The support the College provides to students is a foundation upon which self-reliance and habits of lifelong learning are built: Harvard expects that the scholarship and collegiality it fosters in its students will lead them in their later lives to advance knowledge, to promote understanding, and to serve society.
Harry R. Lewis
Dean of Harvard College
February 23, 1997
We are also familiar with the Harvard seal
However, that wasn't always the Harvard seal - it looked more like this with a couple notable changes
The flipped the book on the bottom and removed reference to Christ & Church
The Charter of 1650 is mentioned, but again that wasn't the first vision document for the College - it did however, have some references in it (also technically a Charter isn't a Mission)
Quote:
Whereas, through the good hand of God, many well devoted persons have been, and daily are moved, and stirred up, to give and bestow, sundry gifts, legacies, lands, and revenues for the advancement of all good literature, arts, and sciences in Harvard College, in Cambridge in the County of Middlesex, and to the maintenance of the President and Fellows, and for all accommodations of buildings, and all other necessary provisions, that may conduce to the education of the English and Indian youth of this country, in knowledge and godliness: It is therefore ordered, and enacted by this Court, and the authority thereof, that for the furthering of so good a work and for the purposes aforesaid, from henceforth that the said College, in Cambridge in Middlesex, in New England, shall be a Corporation, consisting of seven persons.............
Is Harvard still essentially guided "through the good hand of God"? .......... do they still strive to "the education of the English and Indian youth of this country, in knowledge and godliness"
There is a stained glass window at Harvard showing John Harvard holding a scroll with the following words
Quote:
“a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord”
The Harvard Rules & Precepts of 1646 also had these words for their students to live by
Quote:
2. Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and Learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisedome, Let every one seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seeke it of him (Prov. 2:3).
3. Every one shall so exercise himselfe in reading the Scriptures twice a day, that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency therein, both in Theoreticall observations of Language and Logick, and in practical and spiritual truths, as his Tutor shall require, according to his ability; seeing the entrance of the word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130).
I don't think the current student Rules & Precepts would require reading Scriptures twice a day - but it was a founding idea for this College
You can look at the Harvard Lawes of 1642 and 1700 here harvard
As you can see there were a whole lot of rules set forth to conduct that fit squarely with the College mission of providing and education not just for the sake of education, but to also find truth in God .... even down to who you spoke with, when you were allowed to speak, how you were allowed to dress, etc
Here is an account from the founders on why Harvard was founded
Quote:
After God had carried us safe to New England and we had builded our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, reared convenient places for God's worship, and settled the civil government: One of the next things we longed for and looked after was to advance learning and perpetuate it to posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches, when our present ministers shall lie in the dust.
There is also a pretty common passage that is played off as a mission, but I can't verify it enough to say with 100% accuracy that it was the mission of Harvard
Quote:
Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the end of his life & studies is to knokw God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.
This would definitely fit with the bottom book being face down as opposed to face up and also with the written accounts of the founding of the university, it's purpose and it's early rules.
Plus, Harvard originally graduated ministers - over half of their graduation classes went on to be minsters.
That was a large part of the purpose of the College
Things change though and that clearly isn't the case today
The world is different than close to 400 years ago, 200 years ago or even 100 years ago - places that were founded to meet the needs of the time don't exactly operate in the same fashion today or carry the same goals today in fairly obvious ways
Foundation & Purpose are by and large abstract - how a physical object, be it a horse, house, trade, road, or any other item you can think of - would have a different foundation & purpose as the times evolve
Better odds, sure--but even grads from elite schools struggle with the Great Recession and the slow recovery. Keep in mind that many would normally go to the big banks and consulting firms, which, from an employment (if not ultimately profit) perspective, were hit hard.
Hmm, none of these schools (and most decent schools for that matter) have their mission being about jobs. You're mixing up the purpose of college with the purpose of why people are going to college. There's a big difference.
I went to college for an education with no job in mind. I am doing just fine... just like the several other thousands of students that attended my school for the same reason.
Your premise is flawed. A college's mission statement has nothing to do with why (I) went to college, or you, or Bob over there. Thats like my asking why people eat KFC then you posting KFC's mission statement. has nothing at all to do with the consumer.
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