Letters to the Editor: A college education shouldn’t only be used for career-building

To the editor: Columnist LZ Granderson drives home an important point often lost in current discussions about the advantages of an undergraduate college education (“College is expensive. And important. That’s why America has subsidized it for 246 years,” Aug. 29). That point is that the focus of an undergraduate college education should be on learning skills that help students broadly in life, regardless of their career choice. Those skills include critical thinking, collaboration with others, exposure to a variety of perspectives and interpersonal communication skills.

With the current emphasis on career-based education, it is worthwhile to consider the benefits afforded by a liberal arts education that forces students to ask questions, think of alternatives and be creative.

Particularly important is Granderson’s reminder of the importance of education in a robust democracy, championed by our founding fathers. The political climate we find ourselves in could use more citizens who are curious and open to a variety of views.

When I decided to return to school as a graduate student, while also working full-time, many people assumed I was doing so strictly for monetary reasons — to earn more money and climb the corporate ladder. But for me, it was the chance to renew that spark learning has always ignited in me and challenge myself to consider new paths.

Erika Cilengir, Culver City

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To the editor: Reflecting on “education … as [Thomas] Jefferson often wrote, [is] essential to our democracy”: As a retired college professor, I understand the goals of our profession — to enable students to contribute to building democracy through their engagement in professions that support diversity, scientific inquiry and lifelong learning.

An old axiom — that a college education is a ticket to a better-paying job — is no longer a guarantee. But the values of a mind that is trained to be curious, reflective and analytical escape those whose perspective is grounded in financial gain. Today we see the democratic values of free speech, freedom of movement and participatory voting being eroded by authoritarian dictum. Instead of building communities, the practice has been building walls, to exclude those who are not welcome here because of their national origin, race or color.

For those of us who value education at all levels, it is incumbent on us to support universities that are being investigated, penalized and defunded for causes that are unjustified. This is not the democracy that Jefferson and the other founders envisioned for a free country. Perhaps those who are being educated in our schools today will have the intellectual skills and the bravado to stop the erosion of this democracy at the hands of the bullies and know-nothings who value power over scientific research and media presence over factual evidence.

Lenore Navarro, Los Angeles