Purdue University (Aeypix/Shutterstock)
While many view STEM and liberal arts as being opposite courses of study, Purdue University is discovering new and creative ways for students to pursue their interests in both. In this month’s interview, Lori Sparger, COO and CIO of Purdue University College of Liberal Arts, talks about new initiatives at the College of Liberal Arts for students to discover their interests, explore careers, and redefine the college experience.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Ms. Sparger, briefly explain your career path and how it developed into your position today as the chief operating officer and chief innovation officer at Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts.
Lori Sparger, chief operating officer and chief innovation officer, Purdue University, College of Liberal Arts: All of my time at Purdue has been within this college. It started in marketing and donor relations with Purdue Theatre, our academic theatre program. From there, I moved to the dean’s office and spent 10 years as a major gift fundraiser. That allowed me to learn about programs across the college. When our new dean arrived in 2015, I was ready for a broader challenge and a different kind of role to help elevate the college. My current position provides all of that. I am always very appreciative of the opportunity.
Hibel: You have a very interesting background. In addition to your work in academia, you also are the co-author of the book, “Be More, Find Your Truth, Tell Your Story and Get What You Want out of Life.” How do you bring this inspirational message to your staff, faculty and students on campus?
Sparger: The book is really about self-awareness and empowerment. Ten years ago, we created a Purdue class that connects students with our liberal arts alumni as a way of helping the students envision the career possibilities that are open to them. I’m now the instructor for that class-and I promise, the heavy lifting and the true inspiration come from our alumni guest speakers. Being able to have that student connection is important. Much of my portfolio within the college is tied to undergraduates. Having 60-something students in a room for 50 minutes a week helps me stay in tune with what matters to them. It also allows me to help them define their aspirations. Central to the book is the question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Having conversations with students, and sometimes members of my staff, about that really tough question is a meaningful part of what I do. I have to say, the book is the brainchild of my co-author, Todd Putman, a fellow Purdue alumnus. I am grateful that he asked me to collaborate with him and for the many lessons I learned through the experience of working on Be More with him.
Hibel: Many employers are focused on STEM graduates, of which Purdue has every right to be proud. However, Purdue Liberal Arts is working hard to build partnerships with businesses to highlight the strengths and importance of the liberal arts students and graduates as well. What are some ways Purdue is working on spreading the message that Purdue is more than just STEM?
Sparger: The STEM strengths at Purdue are a great point of pride, but Purdue is a comprehensive university with a central administration and board of trustees who support our College of Liberal Arts. We read over and over about employees who lack the so-called soft skills, like writing, teamwork, and the ability to present ideas in a compelling way. Those are the skills we develop across our majors. With our new Career Center, as we talk with employers, part of our objective is to help them connect the dots. We say-when you need critical thinking skills and the ability to compellingly communicate complex ideas, consider a philosophy or history major. When you want someone who can work well across a multi-functional team, think about a theatre major, whose team includes designers, actors, writers, technical staff, construction crews and an ability to ensure that when the house goes dark, the show goes on. The career paths for liberal arts majors are not linear. It takes an openness and some imagination for both employers and students to embrace their potential.
Hibel: Purdue is innovative in its approach to strengthening the value of the liberal arts degree such as the recent creation of the Degree in 3 program and the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts Certificate. Please explain a little more about these and the importance of these types of innovative programs.
Sparger: We have a dean, David Reingold, with a deep commitment to undergraduate education and to addressing challenges in new ways. Across the country, we know that liberal arts programs face enrollment declines and a narrative that puts liberal arts and the STEM disciplines in opposition. With Degree in 3, we have created paths to an undergraduate degree that allow students to choose an expedited course of study. Degree in 3 offers a great value proposition. Students literally can save thousands of dollars and start earning a living a year earlier. Each of these students will complete all the requirements for a Purdue B.A., and they’ll do it in three years. Do you want an employee who is focused, motivated and hard-working? Degree in 3 graduates will embody those qualities. You look at all of that and see that a Purdue Liberal Arts degree is a great career choice.
Cornerstone seeks to redefine the freshman experience at a large, public university. Its first two classes, which teach written and oral communication skills, are taught by award-winning faculty members, great teachers, in sections with less than 30 students. When I talk to students and parents about Cornerstone, I tell them, these classes are what you always dreamed college would be. Small classes. Big ideas. Engaged professors. I truly believe that for freshmen in Cornerstone this semester, these will be classes they will remember and talk about years from now. For students in engineering, technology, management and science, Cornerstone’s themes will teach them about their areas of study through the lens of the humanities and social sciences. Bringing together liberal arts and STEM strengthens both. For students who want to be leaders in their field, Cornerstone will give them a broader understanding of the work in front of them. It will teach them to be better communicators, to share their ideas for maximum impact. As it grows, it’s a program that can help define what it means to be a graduate of Purdue University.
Hibel: The dean’s office has published an impressive roadmap of how Purdue Liberal Arts will “emerge as a leader in innovative Liberal Arts education and scholarship.” Will you explain the purpose of this roadmap further and a few of the key challenges and opportunities identified.
Sparger: If you want to move a big idea forward, it’s important to be able to articulate its nuance, to talk about it in very granular ways. But it’s equally important to be able to break it down into memorable components. That’s what the roadmap does. It outlines our vision, our challenges and our goals on a single piece of paper in a way that’s very easy to understand. It’s posted on our website so that anyone who is curious can see what matters to us: strengthening the undergraduate experience, upgrading graduate education, enhancing faculty excellence and expanding revenue sources as well as how we will move those four things forward. It’s a useful tool. There are times when great opportunities present themselves, but resources are scarce. Whether they demand time or treasure, the roadmap provides a way to assess those opportunities. Do they move us forward? Do they align with what we are trying to accomplish? If not, it’s important to sometimes say no. The roadmap helps with that decision-making process.
Hibel: I can imagine that it takes support from all stakeholders on campus in order to elevate the liberal arts community and celebrate its relevance in today’s job market. How and what is Purdue doing in terms of “getting everyone on board” on campus in order to achieve this goal?
Sparger: That’s an on-going process. We’ve had many conversations across campus about Cornerstone, for example. There’s a lot of support for the idea. At the same time, it represents a change in how the college has delivered instruction in written and oral communication that impacts all Purdue students. Understanding the practical challenges across campus is important. When you roll out something new, there are broad strokes, like marketing strategies that advance your ideas. There’s also personal interaction, whether that’s a luncheon to talk about a new program, a fair to talk about our majors, minors, and certificates, or sitting down with an influencer over a cup of coffee. We’re doing all of it. Purdue’s mascot is a train, the Boilermaker Special, but it’s a little more complex than simply inviting everyone on board with us.
Hibel: What is Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts’ philosophy on educating and preparing liberal arts students to contribute to society? In particular, why is it important to have well-rounded graduates?
Sparger: Well-rounded graduates are leaders in their careers and in their communities. They bring to the table an important perspective. The challenges that we face as a society are complex and they will demand creative, multi-faceted, innovative, and meaningful solutions. In the real world, we need engineers and humanists, scientists and artists to work side by side. It’s a liberal arts and STEM world. We don’t live in two discrete silos. They are deeply interconnected. The ethical implications of emerging technologies will touch all of our lives in practical and political ways. As the next generation of leaders addresses questions we aren’t even asking yet, it will take both STEM-educated and liberal arts-educated individuals working together to arrive at solutions that move us forward and aspire to a greater good.
Hibel: I’m sure you are excited about the recent opening of the College of Liberal Arts Career Center. In addition to working with such firms as Parker Dewey, what other ways are you helping provide opportunities to students?
Sparger: I’m very excited. In the liberal arts, we haven’t traditionally introduced the idea of career to students early in their education in the ways that our counterparts in engineering and management have. Now, even as part of our undergraduate recruitment efforts, we are talking with students about what they need in order to take their passion for anthropology or languages and turn it into a great career. We’ll offer programming that helps prepare students for internships and job search. We’re developing relationships with corporate partners who will come to see Purdue as a much-needed resource for talent.
It was important when we opened the career center that we also launched our partnerships with Parker Dewey and Ascend Indiana. Parker Dewey is a wonderful opportunity for our students to complete micro-internships, five to 40 hours they can do alongside their coursework to explore jobs in a low-risk way that also gives them paid, practical experience. With Ascend, we have an Indianapolis-based partner that is helping us advance the story about the value liberal arts can add for businesses within the state, and allowing our graduates to get a foot in the door as they embark upon their careers.
Hibel: You are obviously passionate about working in academia. What keeps you engaged working in higher education?
Sparger: Right now, there’s an exceptional opportunity with Purdue Liberal Arts to be creative and innovative. We try new things every day, and I have a team that is excited that we are breaking new ground. They are deeply passionate about their jobs and it shows. Our students are always energizing. They feel very strongly about the college and about their studies. They are great proof points. When an employer is on campus, all I need to do is create the opportunity for them to interact with our students. I don’t need to say a word. Over and over again, what I hear is – your students are so great. That of course carries over to an alumni group with a deep commitment to the college and to our students. I have developed many friendships with our alumni over the years that are very important to me.