Why College?

BrianNelson(TA)-1

From the desk of Brian Nelson, Dean of Academics:

On the heels of College Emphasis Week, I have engaged in many conversations regarding the price tag and value of college.  With tuition prices soaring and many recent college grads facing unemployment, many are questioning whether college is the answer.  Should we pay for our children to go to college to get information they can read on Wikipedia?  Is it worth it anymore?  I have an opinion.

I had a parent forward me an article this week addressing this very question.  It is a thought-provoking article written by Christopher B. Nelson, president of St. John’s College in Maryland.  Aside from having a very distinguished last name, Nelson makes some great points.  As I read it, I was impacted specifically by his articulation of the purpose of education.  He writes, “Education is not information transfer. The educated college graduate is not simply the same person who matriculated four years earlier with more information or new skills. The educated graduate is a different person—one who has developed the innate human capacity for learning, to the point of controlling it. The educated graduate is an independent learner, able to seek out answers to whatever questions arise, and able to direct his or her own learning in accordance with the challenges that life presents in the circumstances of his or her own life.”  Wow.  Personal transformation as the goal of education?  That is huge.

Honestly, this might not be a new concept for you.  This is exactly what Brook Hill is about as well.  At Brook Hill, education is not just information transfer.  We are preparing students to think, collaborate, and create.  We are not just about knowledge but about wisdom.  We are about equipping students for God’s plan.  This was the very reason this article resonated with this BH parent.  She wrote:

What a great article.  This short piece articulates 2 valuable points: 1) why college may be worth it and what to look for in the college experience. 2) this is what Brook Hill accomplishes on a younger scale.  Brook Hill has matured my son by providing educators who care to know how he learns, Advisory groups, give him opportunities to serve via “just being involved”… (World travel not required), semester long projects….via long projects such as bug collections, making films with Deanna Brooks, homecoming projects, 8 page papers, etc. 

This is why Brook Hill academics exist.  Just as Jesus grew in wisdom as a young adult (Luke 2:52), I pray each day that our students experience personal growth and gain wisdom to impact the world.