Goals - Academic - American Universities
A goal is a desired result that an individual makes a conscious effort to achieve (Weatherford et al., 1960). Universities are institutions of higher learning that instill technical as well as cultural and social skills to students. In the universities, the students are required to set aims and achieve them within the period that they will be in the institutions. However, the institution its self has its goals. These goals relate to behavior and skill acquisition of student by the time they graduate. University goals aim at producing an efficient labor force as well as producing model citizens (Weatherford et al., 1960). University goal also aims at attracting top students to the universities. In this paper, I will examine university goals, their aims, contributions and significance of goals to the institutions based on the Seattle University.
The primary goals of education for American universities include dissemination of knowledge to students. The main aim of students joining universities is to further their academic knowledge. By setting dissemination of knowledge as a goal of university education, there is an improvement in methods used to disseminate knowledge. This includes building of state of the art libraries among improvement of other infrastructure that enable universities to disseminate knowledge (Irwin et al., 2006). This goal is, therefore, instrumental in the sense that it leads to the creation of better learning infrastructure in the universities. It also attracts international students looking to broaden their academic horizons into the American universities.
[...] However, self-fulfillment is the main objective of education as it allows for self-fulfillment and contributes heavily towards progression in the sense that it prevents stagnation. Bibliography Irwin, P., Kelly, R., & Miller, J. (2006). graduate bulletin information. Seatle: Seatle university press. Weatherford, W. D., & Taylor, H. (1960). The goals of higher education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [...]
[...] For instance, self-fulfillment is a goal of the American universities because Americans believe in individual fulfillment. In other societies where the society does not hold individual fulfillment it such a high regard, the goals such as “community development” becomes the main aim of higher education, such is the case in communist countries where production is occurs at community level. Goals of education also originate from the dominant ideologies of the time (Weatherford et al., 1960). Some of the great thinkers such as jean Jacques Rousseau have had a big impact on the goal of education. [...]
[...] Another goal of American universities is training for production. In achieving this goal, the universities look to create an efficient labor force for local industries. The Seatle University has an objective of providing “in-depth education to persons pursuing specialized knowledge and skills in a specified field” (Irwin et al., 2006). This aim of the university enables it to attract internship students from local employers as well as develop its educational infrastructure in a manner that enables the realization of the goal. [...]
[...] Common Academic Goals in American Universities A goal is a desired result that an individual makes a conscious effort to achieve (Weatherford et al., 1960). Universities are institutions of higher learning that instill technical as well as cultural and social skills to students. In the universities, the students are required to set aims and achieve them within the period that they will be in the institutions. However, the institution its self has its goals. These goals relate to behavior and skill acquisition of student by the time they graduate. [...]
[...] In this way, the modes of production have become more efficient in the American economy, this leads to competitive production. The most-important goal of university education in my opinion is fostering and advancement of a student's inner abilities and potential. In the University of Seatle, one of the objectives is to “encourage students to develop speaking and writing competencies fully and to enhance high-level thinking abilities, including application and synthesis” (Irwin et al., 2006). Student's enhancement to use higher order thinking skills helps them to achieve their maximum potential fully. [...]
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