At first glance the terms Cooperative Education and Liberal Arts may seem totally incongruous because the liberal arts are not generally regarded as directly related to the task of career preparation. Recently, however, in several issues of The Journal of Cooperative Education, the paradoxical nature of the issue of Cooperative Education and the Liberal Arts has been confronted. The initial purpose of this article is to summarize these contributions and to comment on their conclusions. The question that pervades these contributions is "Can Cooperative Education be successful at a Liberal Arts College?"
The crux of the dilemma is aptly described by Bernard Hyink in his May, 1977, article entitled "Is Cooperative Education Education?" In his words,
The basic principle of combining a working experience with formal study is not new but has been practiced for some time in America. The value of the program has been well demonstrated in many academic areas including engineering, medicine, dentistry, law and business administration. More recently, we are realizing the value of cooperative education in the humanities, social sciences and the fine arts. It is an idea whose time has come.
Hyink emphasizes that Co-op Education programs should be versatile enough to accommodate the range of values desired by the humanists and the opportunity for job experience as well. In his words, "the institution should function as a frontier not as a fortress in an effort at becoming aware of self and involved with the community."
As a sign of the new direction, the same issue included Patrick J. O'Regan's "Cooperative Education: An Academic Liberal Arts Program," which describes how Rhode Island College defined and implemented the components of an academic cooperative education program. O'Regan answers quite effectively the question; "How does the College make the same individual into an even better student once he has accumulated job experience?" Notably, meanwhile, in the November, 1977 issue Joyce Kennison and George Probst report on their "exploratory investigation" of Liberal Arts Cooperative Education. They reveal that "although more than 1,000 institutions of higher education are currently involved in such a program, only 162 have programs available for liberal arts students and, of these programs, only 46 have 40 or more students in cooperative education." The authors further lament that a "disappointing slowness" prevails in the development of liberal arts cooperative education programs; and then observe optimistically that "where it does work, it is a real winner for both the student and the institution."
Throughout 1979, on the other hand, two types of articles emerge: the one which describes successful programs such as Wright State University's in Dayton, Ohio (Dr. Robert E. Pruett, Winter 1978-79); the other highlighted by Dr. K. Patricia Cross' often-quoted paper entitled "Cooperative Education for the 1980's" which was originally prepared for the 14th International Conference for Cooperative Education, San Francisco, April 12, 1978. She points out that today's young people are "showing increasing dissatisfaction with long years of uninterrupted schooling, especially when there is no guarantee of the well paid and meaningful job to which they feel entitled at the other end of the educational pipeline." She reminds her listeners that campuses and curricula have indeed expanded into the "real world" of business but admits that "professors and classrooms frequently remain aloof and untouched by the pressures for relevancy." Finally, she predicts, "my guess is that the changing nature of the student body, which is in itself a reflection of the quest for integrated rather than fragmented lives, will do much to blend schooling and learning." The Spring, 1979, issue, meanwhile, includes two articles that carry many of the same themes further. Marion Lord, through the vehicle of a questionnaire sent to a random sample of 100 institutions, shows that, though difficulties abound, there are nonetheless many strong schools with policies, procedures and suggestions for integrating cooperative education and the liberal arts. If consulted, they could assuredly help others resolve their problems.
The most thought-provoking of them all, however, is "Liberal Education and Cooperative Education: Are They Compatible?" by Joel C. Millonzi. He states forcefully at the beginning that both traditional learning and cooperative education deal primarily with the task of producing "fully developed, critically aware individuals" despite what many consider to be a different orientation. He gives examples of how the "traditional liberal arts courses can incorporate a work orientation," and shows how the social sciences, by their very nature, certainly apply to the workplace. In short, the basic belief Millonzi reinforces is that the acquisition of liberal arts skills is important for every employee on any level if he is to develop and function most effectively in a complex world. Concurrently, he insists that nothing should prevent traditional liberal arts courses from incorporating a work orientation.
Interest in the issue has not been limited to those within the Cooperative Education establishment. Dana L. Farnsworth, Consultant on Psychiatry at the Harvard School of Public Health, may well have been prophetic in his 1974 article on "Social Values in Colleges and Universities:"
Higher education in America must move toward action as well as analysis, frankly espousing programs to enhance the responsibility of young people and to encourage the development of their ability to respond to their own needs and those of society.
In the same direction, meanwhile, were the words of Derek Bok, President of Harvard University, in an article entitled, "On the Purposes of Undergraduate Education:"
As an antidote to many uninterrupted years of schooling, a time to live and work creatively among different kinds of people in an unfamiliar setting may contribute while helping to clarify the direction that a student will follow after leaving college.
We at Thomas More College are proud of our efforts at carrying out the mandates of Farnsworth and Bok through the Cooperative Education Program and the broader Experiential Learning and Career Development Center (ELCDC), which integrated the activities of the Coop Program into a coordinated larger plan. The Director, Dr. James A. Becker, oversees the activities of co-op (7 5 07o of his time) so that these merge with the activities of the Center to maximize both career guidance and the educational goals and standards of the College.
It now appears appropriate to describe Thomas More College and how it became involved in cooperative education. We are a private coeducational liberal arts institution of about 1,300 students, sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, which has as a primary service area the territory ranging from rural Eastern Kentucky, to suburban Northern Kentucky and the metropolitan Cincinnati area. Fortunately, the administrators and faculty of Thomas More College recognize that one means of enriching mature, effective individuals with the additional confidence in their own capability and sense of responsibility as enterprising members of society is a Cooperative Education Program as a supplement to a full liberal arts curriculum. Students opting for co-op experience at Thomas More elect this valuable training in addition to a complete liberal arts education. And, by the nature of this philosophy, the student's work experience is then supervised and coordinated with classroom learning by a faculty member specifically designated by the Chairman of the student's academic department as coop faculty coordinator. That experience is then evaluated by the faculty member and earns for the student from 3 to a maximum of 15 college credits which become part of the 128 credit hours required for graduation.
Looking back, meanwhile, the Cooperative Education program at Thomas More College developed from a pilot program begun in the Chemistry Department during 1974 by Sister Mary Casimira Mueller, SND. It was expanded in 1976, with the help of HEW-funding under Title IV-D, to include the departments of Business Administration, English, History, Math and Psychology. And, on August 2 of that year, the Cooperative Education Department was created with two administrative personnel: Sister Casimira as interim Director and Ms. Patricia Sommerkamp as Field Coordinator.
Simultaneously, an Advisory Board was convened and a charter drafted and approved. With much to be done in that all-important first year (organization, procedures, policies, forms, records, job descriptions, recruiting), the support and cooperation of this group was invaluable. It was comprised of an Executive Vice President of NorthlichStolley Advertising Agency (President-Elect of the Board), Research Manager of Emery Industries (President of the Board), Personnel Manager of Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, Personnel Director of U.S. Shoe Corporation, Personnel Specialist of Civil Service Commission, President and Manager of Shillito's, General Manager of Levi Strauss Distribution Center and the former Co-op Director of the University of Cincinnati. Meeting quarterly the Board was particularly helpful in counseling and assisting the Co-op Field Coordinator regarding the total public relations program, the structure and content of two professional development courses and production of an orientation audio-slide presentation for use in recruiting employers and/or students. Involved faculty also helped with the all-important task of matching the liberal arts fields and skills to the appropriate positions.
Not unexpectedly, during 1977 a healthy total of 34 students were placed with 19 different companies or agencies: 7 in January, 15 in May and 13 in August. By the end of 1978, impressively the number of placements had increased to 96 from 38 companies and agencies while, most significantly, the number of academic majors involved grew first to 11 and then 14. Other highlights of that all-important trial phase were the printing of brochures and handbooks for employers and/or students, the developing and use of the audio-slide show specifically for recruiting purposes, the activating of the Career Development Center and the establishing of an Employers' Recognition Luncheon.
Central to the program at that time, while also serving as a beacon into the future, were the five year objectives that had been drawn up, among which were (1) to bring the program closer in line with student needs; (2) to strengthen the organizational structure of the Co-op Department; (3) to improve evaluation and planning procedures; and (4) to reinforce the recruitment and P.R. programs of the Co-op Department.
During 1978, as well, an external evaluation of the program was conducted by E. Sam Sevilla, Director and Associate Dean of the Professional Practices Program at the University of Cincinnati and C. G. L. Pratt, Director of the Cooperative Education Center at Bradley University. While generally praising the program for its initial strides, they nevertheless pointed out possible problem areas and/or pitfalls that all new programs should be especially concerned about. Much that the Thomas More College programs has accomplished since then in the form of implementation and/or "strategies" has been in response to these suggestions and in keeping with the original long-term objectives.
In the first place, the all-important need for administrative support was clearly reinforced in letters of support from the new President, Robert J. Giroux, and Academic Dean, Sister Mary McAuley Gillgannon, RSM. Sister McAuley emphasized that co-op students "have a sense of direction and concern for both academic and professional development" and, by their mere presence, "add a positive dimension to our campus as well as to the wider society." Dr. Giroux, meanwhile, stated firmly My commitment is based on the recognition that this unique program helps us to better achieve the basic mission of the institution. No single educational program can provide for every dimension of a student's education, yet it has long been recognized that a college education is enhanced by practical experience. Few programs can match Cooperative Education in furthering the full development of our students and their realistic preparation to occupy a responsible role in today's society. The involvement of Thomas More College in this area is an acknowledgement of the high priority that must be assigned to such an integrative process. This continued involvement will enable Thomas More College to adequately serve the needs of its students.
Secondly, the consultants spoke of the need for a comprehensive and aggressive campaign to promote the Thomas More College co-op model in the high schools. This was primarily done through the careful revision of the audio-slide presentation to emphasize its appeal to high school students, teachers, counselors and even principals. Showings were arranged to each of these groups through luncheons, talks at meetings and classroom visits. An interesting and certainly well-received twist was to have a full-time faculty member and co-op student make a joint presentation to interested classes and clubs. By fall of 1979, due partially no doubt to this combination of strategies, some 52 high school students indicated upon entering that they had selected Thomas More College specifically because of the Co-op program. It was also emphasized that better internal P.R. was necessary so as to inform the non interested faculty of the value of the co-op methodology of education. Here again the audio-slide presentation was useful. It was offered for classroom presentations or meetings of all students/faculty from a particular major. And, an effort was made to involve other members of the respective departments (perhaps eventually through rotating 2-3 year coordinatorships). But, the major vehicles are expected to be the upgraded co-op newspaper entitled Co-op Opportunity and a re-structured one semester Professional Development class. The newspaper, co-edited by a student and made up mostly of student articles; reflects the concern of both the students and the department for academic quality and integrated effort, while the Professional Development class has been reduced to one semester so as to make certain information, skills and developments available to more students on all levels: it now focuses on such useful areas as career decision-making, resume writing and job interviews, human relations on the job, oral and written communications, and time management. All students, regardless of major, have been pleased with the content and many faculty have recommended the course, even to non-co-ops, because of its immediate use to the student who must soon enter the job market.
Also in the area of student concerns, according to the consultants are their fears concerning graduation on time (and the related availability or unavailability of courses) and their uncertainty at times of the precise departmental requirements that must be completed if they are to receive academic credit for their co-op experience. Here, the academic departments that have alternating co-op students have arranged their course offerings so that a co-op student can carry a full semester (12-15 credit hours) of course work during the summer. The Academic Dean has designed a double summer session to make this even more feasible. In addition, students may take courses through the Consortium of Colleges in the Metropolitan Cincinnati area. And, in what is an extremely attractive feature, students in departments that permit only two or even three alternating work sessions can plan their courses in order to graduate within four years, as can most parallel co-ops who work part-time (approximately 20 hours per week) during the entire year. In the departments that permit three to five alternating work sessions, the students generally require an additional year to graduate. Two important strategies have evolved in order to improve the communications with the students, both in response to the consultants' report: the departmental syllabi which specify what the learning objectives, requirements and expectations are at the outset; and the co-op counseling forms which inform the student quite early in his/her co-op experience of exactly which courses must be taken when and how many credits still remain at any given point. Both the student and faculty member are thus aware of the projected course schedule from the beginning.
Isolating the syllabi, the Chemistry Department's can be used as an appropriate example of what they ideally accomplish. The major prerequisite, for example, is that the Co-op position be acceptable to both the Chemisty Department and the Career Development Center. The evaluation is based on the supervisor's evaluation (20%) plus three seminars and associated papers. In short, credits and grades are awarded on the basis of the student's learning experience. In order to assure such an experience, the following served as the academic goals to be pursued during each work period:
In the same direction, the consultants pointed out student concern about how little written advance information they had concerning the nature of the co-op jobs they were sent to interview for. In response to this obvious deficiency, a major project during the 1979-1980 years has been a compilation of the job descriptions for every student who has cooped at Thomas More College. These have been collected in a Job Description Manual, arranged according to major and made available for any student to examine in the Career Development Center. Included is a syllabus for each active major field at the beginning of the department's section. Significantly, an effort is made to interview each supervisor so that the eventual published edition reflects the actual job duties and responsibilities of the student rather than merely a catch-all, in-house job description that rarely describes what the student has been doing. This interview is then supplemented with the information provided on the end-of-the-semester Employer Appraisal Form that must be submitted after each work session. An effort is also made to provide information about particular skills or experience necessary to qualify for the position. Much time has been saved by both students and employers with this additional resource.
Finally, two additional "strategies" or means of implementation must be mentioned. Though addressing different aspects of the Co-op program, they nevertheless help to complete the overall picture. A $6,600 grant was received from the Exxon Foundation in 1978-79 for the purchase and implementation of a Computerized Vocational Information System (CVIS). This system, to be fully operational in late 1980, will complete the career counseling and guidance program that the Career Development Center can provide and assure yet another service to help the co-op student effectively utilize his four years of undergraduate education. And, while the value of the Employer's Advisory Board to the program has already been emphasized, the extent of their interest and support is reflected in their own words.
Each member of the Board was asked to comment on a series of questions, the intention being to hear why they and their companies are actively involved in a liberal arts-based cooperative education program. The following questions were asked: (1) why are you a member of the Employers' Advisory Board? (2) why does your company allow (or even encourage) membership on such a Board? (3) what do you see as the benefits of a co-op program to the employer? to the student? to the college or university?
David J. Kriege, Director of Quality Assurance, Emery Industries, Cincinnati, Ohio, highlighted his response by praising the Emery co-ops for having displayed a "sense of purpose, maturity and intelligence," an "inquisitiveness, eagerness to learn and good work ethic" that indeed made them "special." But the point was that the "co-ops were not inherently special but instead developed this status as a result of their education - including their learning experiences in industry." Moreover, again in his words, "co-op education goes far beyond being just an advantage to the students. Co-op education meets needs. It meets the needs of all concerned and demands little if anything in return."
Gary R. Bricking, Manager of Union Light, Heat and Power Company (subsidiary of Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company), Covington, Kentucky, meanwhile, spoke of "better communication," "mutual understanding," "contagious enthusiasm," "immediate productivity," "faster progress" and "experience - a source of proven talent" as major reasons why the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company is currently employing a total of over 120 co-ops from schools throughout the Cincinnati Metropolitan area.
Don Westrich, Manager of the Florence Mall Shillito's, Florence, Kentucky, (a Cincinnati area branch of Federated Department Stores), while reinforcing many of the points made by the previous employers, did provide a different perspective in prof es sing "that businessmen have an obligation to lend their expertise to projects that are beneficial to the community in which they make their livelihood." In a sense, as he perceived it, any support that can be given to help insure a steady supply of qualified college graduates every year "is beneficial to our company, to young people and to the community as a whole. I believe that Co-op is a viable vehicle to help that supply and as educational costs escalate, it will become even more important."
Yet, in some ways, it was probably the most succinct response that was also the most exact and precise because it may well be used as a summary of what the Thomas More College program is all about. William C. Schaefer, Executive Vice President of Northlich-Stolley, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, simply said:
Being a product of liberal arts colleges, I firmly believe in the importance of such an education, and in its unique value. Such an education most effectively teaches individuals how to learn. It studies the past, it sharpens learning skills, helps to understand people, and to make decisions. What a marvelous preparation for life, and for a life's career. Add to that the chance to learn by working, and I believe the whole liberal arts educational process - and any other - is fantastically enhanced. It offers splendid growth opportunities for the students, and a valuable and hopefully fulfilling experience for faculty who are involved with the Co-op Program. This cycle of learning and doing is essential to any meaningful life.
In the final analysis, the results discernible in the first four years are probably best reflected in the growth - from 34 placements in 1977 with 19 different companies or agencies to the 96 placements and 38 employers in 1979. And, in a related statistic, of the graduates of the Coop program in the first three years (55), 85% were offered positions by the companies they co-oped for.
In the same vein, Sam Savilla, in his most recent evaluation (May, 1980), emphasized that "the high quality of service provided by the Coop unit continues to exist." Specifically, as indicators of the program's effectiveness, his report listed the following:
And in conclusion, Sovilla added that
there have been no significant changes since the previous evaluation of one year ago that would alter the Consultant's opinion that the College has established a model co-op program that should be copied by other liberal arts schools.
Goals for the immediate future, meanwhile, are to continue to "strengthen" structure, staff and program so as to more than ever meet student needs and "improve and reinforce" in the areas of recruitment, evaluation, P.R. and planning. In this way by 1981, and the termination of the assistance from the U.S. Office of Education, the program will hopefully be placing a near maximum 150-200 students per year (over 50% of eligible total enrollment for Co-op), will be recruiting 75-100 high school students to Thomas More College each year primarily because of the Co-op Program, will be generating the financial assistance necessary to pick up the slack, will continue to work closely with the employers so that their needs will always be a high priority, and will involve even more faculty in the education and growth processes that are so central to the program's overall objectives.
In a sense, then, many elements must come together for a co-op program to be successful, regardless of the model. And each of them must face the reality that the students of the 80's, with all of the pressures that await them in a world of increasing technology and industrialization, are even more concerned about their future life's work. Traditional liberal arts colleges must therefore strive even harder and more energetically to help the student find the connection between classroom learning and life's encounters. A noted researcher in modern education, Dr. Ralph Tyler, in "Tomorrow's Education," summarized the problem when he warned,
Education must use work and other arenas of life as a laboratory in which young people find real problems and difficulties that require learning and in which they can use and sharpen what they are learning. There is no intention of substituting learning on the job for the deeper insights and the knowledge and skills that scholars have developed. The teacher, the books, other materials of the school, and the intellectual resources of the community are to be employed by the student as he works on the problems of his job and carries through projects on which he is engaged.
Yet, it was as early as the 1920's that the noted philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead, in the much-praised The Aims of Education, said prophetically,
Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge ... Pedants sneer at an education which is useful. But if education is not useful, what is it? Is it a talent, to be hidden away in a napkin? Of course, education should be useful, whatever your aim in life. It was useful to Saint Augustine and it was useful to Napoleon. It is useful, because understanding is useful.
We believe, as do many others, that more than ever the revitalization of liberal arts education in the 1980's will depend on the pursuit of this same understanding which, once achieved, hopefully reminds all concerned that education not only can be but must be useful. The Thomas More College Cooperative Education Program proudly asks others to join us in this worthwhile effort.