Skidmore College - Scope Magazine Fall 2018

allow them to view complex and dynamic situations from multiple perspectives, sort through enormous amounts of information, and collaborate to create solutions no one has yet envisioned. Empowering our graduates to infuse creativity into everything they do and then to implement their ideas is the most crucial mission we serve.” Citing the AACU’s recognition of integrative learning as an urgent need in higher education today, Skidmore’s 2015–25 strategic plan emphasizes such learning as its first goal. The plan states, “A liberal arts education cer- tainly represents a personal good for our graduates, pre- paring them not only to make a living but also to create a life worth living—a life that truly matters for themselves and others. But a Skidmore education also represents a broader social good that is seldom remarked upon in con- temporary discussions of higher education. We highlight this value in our expressed determination to prepare our graduates to live as informed, responsible, and globally and interculturally aware citizens who are not only ca- pable of bringing their personal plans to fruition but who also strive to make the world a better place for all.” Given the continuing explosion in technology, the “future of work” has become a hot topic of debate, with think tanks and business consultants weighing in on how IT and other innovations may affect the world of work for humans. The consulting firmMercer posits in its 2018 employment-trends study “Unlocking Growth in the Human Age” that “organizations need their employees to be lifelong learners who grow with the business, embrace continuous change, master new technologies, and build skills for the future.” But concern about quantifi- able ROI— return on investment— may overshadow an appreciation for higher education as a public good. SKIDMORE COLLEGE