Posted: 04/04/07

Education and a degree

Jake Dubuque | contributing columnist
jdubuque@smcvt.edu

At the Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony, economics professor Patrick Walsh gave an interesting talk about what a college education gives you. Usually professors love to talk about education on a philosophical level— it develops your critical thinking, it molds you into a better person, one who appreciates knowledge for the sake of knowledge. A college education may be all of that, but as Professor Walsh pointed out, it is also a piece of paper— it’s a degree. And a degree is a signaling device. It tells the world that you successfully achieved the standards of the college. If that’s not enough, the college also provides a grade point average to identify just how successful you were.

Of course an ambitious fellow could read all of the books a college course assigns; he could read critical commentary on the subject matter and engage in discussion groups online. All of that would cost the price of the textbooks. To spend the $120,000, this ambitious fellow could travel the world and experience unique cultures in ways that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Theoretically, this someone could learn more in four years than a college education could provide him. But no one would know.

Students don’t spend $120,000 simply for the sake of knowledge, they invest a $120,000 in their future. That amount of money buys a piece of paper, with your name on it, your area of ‘expertise’ and the name of the college. That piece of paper signals that you have what it takes to succeed.

The piece of paper called a degree defines you when you search for your first job. Perhaps in the future other factors like work experience and accomplishments will define your credentials in the marketplace, but all of that depends on your finding that first job.

So what does this degree really say about you besides your name? It says the name of your school: “St. Michael’s College.” For those recruiters who went here, that name means a lot. It recalls the intimate sense of community we have, the outstanding professors, interesting and challenging coursework. In fact, I’m sure anyone who has worked with Saint Michael’s graduates knows that there is something special about the students who graduate from here.

The other line on the degree says “Bachelor of the Arts / Sciences in.” What fills in the blank means a great deal when it comes to finding a job. We can probably all agree that there are some useful majors and some not so useful majors in college, but that fact might not hit home until you are a second semester senior looking for a job. Need to repay loans? Don’t worry, your major in underwater basket-weaving will have you out of debt in no time.

So, my name is Jake Dubuque. My resume says that I will graduate St. Michael’s College in May, with a degree in Economics. It says a bunch of other things too, like my GPA, the honor’s societies I was invited to join, and my study abroad experience in Scotland. It talks about previous jobs and activities like independent research, secretary of academics, DJ at WWPV, columnist for the Echo, working for the Admissions Department and perhaps most importantly— flipping pizzas for a summer on Block Island. But all those other things don’t qualify me to apply for this job or that: only the degree does.

I can’t help but wonder what job recruiters are thinking when they flip through students’ resumes. Just because a position requires a certain degree, how can they possibly distinguish between those who will do an adequate job and those who will exceed all expectations? I suspect that the answer lies not within the college degree, but the extent to which the student’s college education has shaped him or her into a dynamic, intelligent individual. Unfortunately a degree cannot capture that. At best, it is only a crude signal masking the incredibly unique way that college has educated me.

Which is why I think my cover letter is simply going to scream: “Yes! I have what it takes to be a financial analyst. In fact one day I will be the CEO of your company. But we all have to start somewhere, so take a chance, turn down that stock Ivy League applicant with grade inflation and choose me.”