By Caitlin Williams

“The highest function of higher education is the teaching of things in perspective, toward the purposes of enriching the life of the individual, cultivating the free and inquiring mind, and advancing the effort to bring reason, justice and humanity into the relations of men and nations.” 

– J. William Fulbright

Sen. Fulbright stands above the hedges of Old Main, hands coolly pocketed as he silently asserts his legacy. His constant presence not only greets the thousands of students who pass by daily, but also inspires faculty who now manifest his mission for higher education at the UA. A selection of UA professors and administrators individually addressed the question, “What makes a good education?” Their responses prioritized certain characteristics with a surprising degree of solidarity.

Broad context for learning

UA professors emphasize the importance of educational breadth and the necessity of establishing a context for students.

The first goal of biochemistry professor T.K.S. Kumar is to give students an answer to the question, “Why am I here?” As he sees it, without relating the material to students’ personal and professional objectives, any long-term interest will be difficult to maintain.

Concerning breadth, Sandra Stotsky of the Department of Education Reform stressed the importance of demanding courses in numerous areas that form “culturally and scientifically literate” students.

Piano professor Jura Margulis said he laments that “specialization is a big problem of modern education,” and that we are always seeking measurable value. Rather, he said he believes that “an artist is a wonderer, a seeker, and it absolutely in no way ends with a diploma.”

Environment matters

Another common thread among UA professors is the belief that environment matters.

Class size is often cited when determining a university’s quality, and Honors College Dean Bob McMath said he recognizes the difference between a lecture hall and a small colloquium.

McMath said that large lectures are an economic necessity, but the professor can supplement the environment by means such as electronic media or the occasional joke to increase student engagement. In fact, the educator is a determinant of environmental quality.

“The university must find the financial resources to increase the size of the faculty, and that includes faculty that are tenured or tenure-track,” McMath said. “The intellectual health of the university requires that we have more permanent faculty.”

Kumar has witnessed that when a professor commits his time to students outside of the classroom, their awareness of his investment will create an “abstract pressure” to perform well. By meeting one-on-one with students, he learns their individual backgrounds and uses that knowledge to create a level playing field in the classroom.

For him and others, it goes beyond pure academics, as education, he said, involves “social and professional responsibilities to the student.”

“The self-propelled student, that is probably the best goal … but of course, the environment is much stronger than the individual,” Margulis said. “We must instill a sense of right and wrong.”

Whether the student agrees or not, he added that “faculty have a moral obligation to have an opinion and express it.”

Individual initiative

One can see that the faculty members accept their responsibility to the student. However, there is not a shortage of professors who believe the student, too, bears responsibility.

“Part of growing up means making decisions for yourself and seeking the information you need,” Stotsky said.

Universities provide a wide array of structures and resources, but students must be “self-guided and self-disciplined” if they expect to do well, she said.

McMath said he expects students to be mentally engaged regardless of whether they will be called on, regardless of class size.

The internal incentive to work for more than just grades is something the student must bring to the table, and the institution’s ability to shape this “character issue,” as Stotsky termed it, brought out different opinions.

Stotsky said she’s not certain that universities can cultivate those kinds of incentives, though clubs, campus ministries, performing arts programs and individuals in residence halls show an effort to reach the unique motivation in each student.

Margulis, however, said that character is contagious, and professors should “teach by example.”

“We are all continuously learning,” he said. “The professor is the one who seeks even more strongly than (the students) do at this point.”

Civic Responsibility

A good education surpasses the individual experience. Professors said they value students’ commitment to society.

It has always been a goal of liberal education in this country, Stotsky said, to produce students who “participate with the values and political principles that enable you to be a good citizen of this particular democracy.”

When McMath teaches undergraduate American history courses, he “want(s) students to learn not only historical facts, but to be able to see themselves as taking part in public discourse … as actors.”

He said that smarts don’t always guarantee empathy.

“Honors students need as part of their own education to be involved in some activities, some organizations where they may be the only honors student in the group,” he said.

Realizing what we have

Celebrating the breadth of research and creativity in an institution specifically chartered for learning and teaching is something the UA faculty members do not take for granted.

“The academic institution is one of the absolute bastions of humanity,” Margulis said. His and McMath’s visions portray nothing less than delight in the exchange of experience and knowledge.

“The mentality of just a bunch of unrelated things that you have to do is at cross-purposes with taking the time to savor what you do here and making the pieces connect,” McMath said of the undergraduate career.

Dr. Margulis advises students: “You’re in a treasure room. Don’t walk out with what they tell you you can take, take as much as you can possibly carry.”