In 1940, Martin Luther King Jr . stated that “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society.”
Right now, in Utah, there are numerous discussions regarding the future of higher education for the state. For example, Utah colleges will require fewer general education prerequisite classes to graduate so that students can “graduate faster.” The pressure that is leading to this and other “efficiency” decisions is troubling and does not align with the broader purpose of what a college and university experience should be, particularly within our comprehensive and research universities.
Utah has a long history of understanding and protecting this broader purpose. In fact, Brigham Young, the first territorial governor of Utah, once stated that “education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world’s work, and the power to appreciate life.” He also argued that “our education should be such as to improve our minds and fit us for increased usefulness; to make us of greater service to the human family.” Notice that he doesn’t even allude to the notion that the sole focus of higher education should be to obtain a marketable certificate or degree. A comprehensive education is intended to be so much more.