News Overshadowing News

On Friday, February 3rd, I was waiting for the economic update. The jobs picture is a key indicator (even though it is considered a lagging indicator) of economic recovery, and I was looking to see if there were tangible signs that a real and perhaps more robust recovery was underway. But even though I was tuned into the economy, my greatest attention was focused on the decision by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation decision to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. There could not have been a worse decision. It was wrong on all levels. First why would an organization focused on a cure for breast cancer cut off funding to a highly regarded organization’s breast screening program? In a nation where we know there is a significant divide between pro-choice and pro-life advocates, why would an organization committed to the cure interject politics into our war against cancer? Did Susan Komen’s hiring of a known pro-life person (and recent anti-abortion candidate for Georgia’s governor) translate into an intolerant policy toward those with a different political ideology but at least as strong a commitment to eradicating breast cancer? I greatly admire how quickly New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stepped forward to pledge a matching donation to Planned Parenthood of up to $250,000. The total that would be raised of up to $500,000 would almost make up for the reduction from Susan Komen. Our economy is showing signs of life. There were 243,000 new jobs in January and the unemployment rate has dipped from 8.5% to 8.3%. Not terrific but nevertheless a world better than the 9.1% unemployment rate we had in August. And the stock market has also rallied with the DJIA now resting comfortably above the 12,000 level. There are great divides in our country. Our recovery is proceeding but almost certainly, with political cooperation, it would proceed faster. On the issue of abortion, the differences are equally great but can’t we agree that women have a right to choice when the decision involves their own body? Isn’t there still room in our society for people agreeing to disagree? And when it comes to cancer research and cancer care, how dare any organization play politics? February 3rd was a good day. First the economic news and later in the day Susan Komen reversed their position and announced that funding would be restored to Planned Parenthood. If our country is to continue to succeed and if our efforts regarding breast cancer are also to succeed, we need to be both more united and more respectful of individual differences.

Headline News

The Sunday September 26, 2010 edition of Newsday had the following front page headline, “ L[ong] I[sland] Colleges Change Course - Major Push for Jobs - How Schools Have Reshaped their Mission.”  This headline which covered the entire first page also had a background of a graduation cap and tassel.  The focus of the article was how colleges “have been shaking up curricula, adding job-friendly courses and majors- all meant to ensure that graduates don’t end up jobless….”  The subtext of the article, summarized well in a quote from a local college administrator, was the determination “to provide a relevant education to all students,” which certainly suggests what has been happening up to now has not been relevant.

We all want our graduates to end up with the jobs of their choice but have we been the cause of joblessness among college graduates because of a lack of relevancy?  I don’t think so.  I spent most of the 1980’s serving as the Dean of Hofstra’s Business School and I also spent a year serving as Interim Dean of the Hofstra School of Education.  In business and in education, we had a whole array of programs that were relevant and designed to help students successfully prepare for careers ranging from accounting to marketing; from administration to teaching.  We have even more such programs today. In the arts and sciences, the majors were equally relevant then and today, including areas such as computer science, communication, engineering, math, music, and writing/English.  My major was economics which prepared you well not only for graduate school but also for careers in finance and business in general. We can certainly do more but is the relevance of our education the real issue?

Higher education is not and should not be focused only on a first job but on a lifetime. We strive to educate critical thinkers.  Remember, even those majors considered most “relevant” may not be the area where our graduates ultimately end up working.  Critical thinking, therefore, is key in adjusting  to changes, including a changing world. We also strive to educate an informed public.  We strive to continuously strengthen the foundations of our society.  We strive to promote understanding and respect.  Is that not relevant?

If you are constrained by an economy struggling to recover from a major recession and having trouble doing so, job opportunities will be a real issue.  As the economy recovers, and we know this won’t be immediate, job opportunities will increase accordingly. We all have a responsibility to continuously enhance the education we provide and we can certainly do much more.  But what is most relevant for our overall jobs picture is the economy and the need for further economic stimulation.  As we look to be relevant, we shouldn’t underestimate the relevance of our national leaders in resolving a difficult situation.