Insitutional Insight: Provost Contributes to the Passion vs. Practicality Debate

Dr. Lewis, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost of Emory University, recently weighed in on a prominentdebate in academia today - whether passion or practicality should take precedence in a student’s college education.

Dr. Lewis acknowledged that many students are conflicted between pursuing their creative, extra-curricular interests and more practical courses of study. Dr. Lewis stressed that Emory’s institutional structure enables students to pursue both their creative passions and more practical studies. He cited Emory College’s liberal arts core as being instrumental in providing students with many academic options.

Furthermore, he explained that Emory’s educational programs and offerings provide students with a nice balance. He noted that Emory’s institutional design offers students with the best of both worlds – a firm grounding in the traditional liberal arts and access to resources available only in top-notch research universities. Therefore, he characterized Emory as a unique fusion of the east coast liberal arts college and a prominent pre-professional institution.

Despite Emory’s significant emphasis on a liberal arts curriculum, Dr. Lewis acknowledged that an increasing number of students are structuring their studies based on pre-determined professional goals. Several pre-professional tracks are popular among Emory undergraduates, namely medicine, law, and business.

Although hundreds of students orient themselves narrowly on pre-professional tracks, Dr. Lewis stated that this recent trend should not be seen as unfavorable. He said, “Parents and students frequently consider pre-professional training as a pathway to success. Oftentimes, pre-professional training is seen as a path to the comfortable life.” He cautioned that a pre-professional track should not be seen as merely training. “There is a difference between training and education. With a liberal arts core, all students receive a solid, broad-based education,” he said.

When asked whether this dramatic increase in students pursuing pre-professional tracks alarmed the Emory administration, Dr. Lewis stated that this trend was not an overwhelming problem due to the fact that the average American goes through 6-7 job changes in his or her life. Ultimately, Dr. Lewis stressed that what one elects to major may not be what he or she does for a living.

He cited CEOs of multinational corporations as living proof. He said, “Many of the CEOs of Atlanta-based companies were liberal arts majors as undergraduates.”

The Provost stopped short of endorsing pre-professional routes over creative, passion oriented studies. He cautioned students not to pursue careers solely because of material benefits. He cited a powerful combination of parental and peer pressure for influencing an increasing number of students to orient themselves toward pre-professional tracks. He also added that the prevailing logic was inherently flawed. He emphasized, “In our society, some careers carry a significant amount of prestige, such as medicine and law. However, students need to realize that many professions, such as teaching, are equally as valuable, although they are not considered high status.” He advised students contemplating potential majors to balance parental, peer, and societal pressures.

Finally, the Provost emphasized the fact that the passion vs. practicality debate cannot be applied universally and uniformly. He stated that the debate between passion and practicality is different for each student. For some students, there is a clear answer. “Sometimes it depends on ability. I would advise a student torn between science and dance to pursue medicine because he or she can practice medicine for a greater duration of time than he or she can dance,” he said. He also encouraged students to pursue double majors. “Double majoring is a good way to maximize options,” he added.

Ultimately, he noted that the passion vs. practicality debate centers on finding the right balance. There are a number of steps that the Administration, staff, and faculty are taking to encourage students to find the right balance. He outlined three steps that are being taken to encourage dialogue about the passion vs. practicality debate: a closer look at the curriculum and whether it is meeting students’ multi-faceted needs, recruiting older individuals who have successfully balanced passion and practicality to speak to undergraduates, and finally having prominent members of the Emory community engaging in open discourse about passion and practicality.

The Provost’s final word on the passion vs. practicality debate: balance. For students conflicted between passion and practicality, Dr. Lewis offers the following words of wisdom:

• be flexible
• do not limit possibilities
• do not make career decisions in haste
• do not let experience determine career decisions.

Dr. Lewis is proof that a balance can be reached between passion and practicality: he is an avid, accomplished historian in addition to a prominent administrator.

Thank you to Dr. Lewis for his significant contribution to this article