Derek Bok

In Derek Bok’s “Preparing for a Career”, the author argues that balance is obligatory when it comes to vocational and liberal art schools in order for students to prosper in college. With the change in time, the college graduate expectancy rate has augmented. At the same time, the requirement and educational level has also gotten more difficult. Bok writes this essay from a professor’s perspective. It is noted in his autobiography that he was a student at Stanford University and George Washington University (Bok 36).He was also a former dean of the law school at Harvard University. His experience by itself gives him credibility to what he is writing. He has experienced different top universities and working at one has given him the insight
The variance between those two is the fact that liberal arts is focused on the personal skill of a student that prepares them for work and make them a well-rounded student. Vocational schools in comparison, are focused more on the skills of a student which will get them ready for a professional job. Bok states that vocational school students are “deeply preoccupied with succeeding in their careers, especially in a world they perceive as increasingly competitive and in constant flux” (37). Bok is essentially explaining that students in vocational schools are more focused on getting the skills they need for a specific job instead of personal skills they can use anywhere at any moment. Moreover, the educational system in vocational schools tend to be more work oriented. The question Bok brings up through his essay is which school students should choose and attend. He conjectures that it is unfortunate that in “universities with both liberal arts and vocational faculties, cooperation has been conspicuous by its lamentable chasm separates the liberal arts college and professional departments” (Bok 38). He comments on the cooperation of the faculties of the two schools as “unfortunate”. This might be why combining the two school systems is difficult. If the professors are not in agreement with what students really need, then it will undeniably be problematic balancing the two school
Combining the educational system will also allow students to become a well-rounded person; also, with the change in time, the students will not have to go back to school to acquire other skills. Bok states that the “vocational majors have an easier time than liberal arts graduates in finding an initial job in business and tend to advance faster and earn more money during their first 10 years of work” (38). However, he then argues that “after 10 years the pictures become more complicated” (Bok 40). He also states that “liberal art teachers do a better job in fostering skills such as communication skills, human relations, creativity, and “big-picture thinking” matter more” (Bok 40). In a world where students are more career oriented, no one can say that liberal education is not important because as Bok states, “companies seem destined to witness faster changes, more frequent career shifts, increasingly diverse workforces, and expanding global operations, all of which favor a broad liberal arts education” (40). This is an explanation that with time, technology is getting more advanced and both the vocational school skill as well as the liberal art skills are needed for students to become a more rounded