Are We Listening? The Triangulation Effect

For the first time since 1803, not one, but two broods of buzzing cicadas emerged from the earth this summer.

Do you hear that sound? No, thankfully, this is not another article focused on bugs. There is a different type of background noise—a constant humming and chirping that’s putting pressure on higher education to change.

A quick search reveals a growing pressure on the academy to be faster, cheaper, shorter, and maintain an overall long-term value. The underlying question is always, "Why won’t our colleges and universities just change?”

For centuries, we have viewed our colleges and universities as the epicenter of knowledge. Students came to us hungry for an education and eager to glean new information from their professors. Now, amazingly, in just the last 2 decades, we have endless information in the palm of our hands, thanks to the ever-changing world of technology.?

As a result, the academy faces an identity crisis, as we are no longer the sole sage on the stage. Professors aren’t the single source of new knowledge and thought anymore. Students can use technology to find instant answers, complete homework, and even write papers. The question is now being asked, “Why do I need an education now that technology can think for me?”

Let that question sink in for a moment. There is still a great need for humanity to think for themselves. I’m not suggesting we run from these advancements in technology. Rather, I’m suggesting we leverage it as part of the education we offer. Critical thinking and problem-solving are the hallmarks of a liberal arts education, and without these skills, technology is not as effective.

For these qualities to continue to be the cornerstone of a liberal arts education, we will have to become better listeners. To fully reconcile this perceived identity crisis in education, we must better understand the problem(s).

It is easy to become too siloed in our own institutional challenges. For example, we recently had the opportunity to sit down with executives from a large hospital chain in Nashville. The reason for the meeting was somewhat selfish: we needed preceptors for our PA program, and they had the means to solve the problem for us.

About 15 minutes into the meeting, I could tell things weren’t going well, as we were doing all the talking and not much listening. I decided to shift the entire meeting and ask a simple question that changed everything:

?“What do you need?”

The answer to that question unlocked a wealth of potential and innovation. The hospital executives immediately started sharing their needs. They had specific staffing needs in a few key areas that, as it turned out, aligned with our program offerings. We had the ability to help them, which in turn helped us. A vital lesson was learned that day: by listening more and talking less, we realized we could solve Trevecca’s problems by shifting our focus and solving the problems of others.

This example represents the great potential of higher education. Within our hallowed halls, we employ some of the great thinkers and experts within each discipline. If our professors are no longer the sole sage on the stage, how do we listen well and shape the college experience in a way that matters to our surrounding communities?

I want to offer a few ideas as a blueprint for some of our smaller liberal arts colleges and universities:

1. Developing Character

There is a dangerous temptation in the academy these days to narrow the scope of education to skill development only. It’s a focus on how—how to be a nurse, how to take blood pressure, how to check vitals, and so on. The world needs nurses, so you see programs pushing them out as quickly as possible.

If we are not careful, however, this focus may sacrifice the training of compassion, empathy, and ethics (all character traits) for these professionals, putting people at risk. The world may wake up to this reality a little too late. It’s only when you or a loved one are lying in the hospital that this reality will strike you. Do you want a nurse who cares for other human beings and is compassionate or do you want one that was pushed through a training system to give them the basics to manage the bedside? When you’re sick, I know where you will land on this one. The hospitals that understand the value of character will set themselves apart in the future.

To all of my faculty and administrative friends at Christian colleges and universities—this is where I believe we have a real opportunity. The “how to” is very important, but the “why” is what makes the difference. Teaching love for your neighbor (why) is transformative! This type of education produces wisdom, discernment, and deep character. All of these traits are crucial for problem-solving and critical thinking.

The size of many of our liberal arts institutions makes them ripe for intensive mentoring cultures that foster character development.

2. Connecting Theory, Experience and Application

I mentioned this above—our professors used to be the sage on the stage. College was the holder of knowledge. That has changed quite a bit. Now, college needs to become a space of opportunity to put students into positions of application and experience.?Higher education should be the hub of triangulation between theory, experience, and application.

The institutions that will stay relevant must adopt active learning philosophies. Our curriculum will need to place students in the middle of experience and application. Even the make-up of some of our classrooms will have to change to make this possible.

As these trends shift, we will talk less about the great lecturers and more about the great triangulators. That is, those instructors that gave students the greatest opportunity to learn through experience and application. Who are the great triangulators within your institution?

They are likely individuals who are heavily involved in partnerships/relationships with businesses and organizations outside of the academy. The thriving institutions of the future will become those that leverage the talent of faculty and students to solve complex problems with partners. A proper ecosystem of this kind will result in outstanding internships and employment opportunities for students in the long run. It can also lead to sustainability for those colleges and universities that execute in a way that meets the needs of the local workforce.

An example of good triangulation is the experience of Allie Blount. Allie took a cancer biology class during her time at Trevecca, which ended up changing her career path. She loved the class so much that she joined the cancer research group at Trevecca. The experience she gained in cancer cell culture led Allie to find her calling in cancer research. Allie was able to get an internship at Meharry Medical College, where she researched triple-negative breast cancer. She recently landed a job doing immunology and cancer research at Vanderbilt University.

Here is how the equation worked: Great classroom experience (theory) + cancer research group at Trevecca (experience) + practice at an internship opportunity (application) at Meharry Medical College = great job. This is a brief example of triangulation at its best!

3. Building Communities

There is a mental health crisis among our youth. Aside from diagnoseable illnesses, there is also evidence that the current generation of students struggles to connect outside of technology. Parents discuss this as they drop off their incoming students for the first time. One of their greatest fears is that their child will be isolated and not come out of their room to interact with others.

College puts students in situations that force them to mature socially. They must deal with a roommate, hallmates, classmates, a resident director, an internship supervisor, professors, and so on. Students hone their skills in getting along with people and solving problems. They will enact these learned skills throughout life and in every job they have from this point forward.

The smaller liberal arts colleges must become the best at producing good community builders. We need to work with this generation to help them find positive coping skills to manage stress and pressure. We can become the place to assist students with building relationships outside of social media. We have an opportunity to teach them how to be good community members. The institutions that do this well will contribute some of the best problem-solvers and critical thinkers to society.

The sound of the cicadas will end soon, but the criticisms of higher education will continue. May the collective voices of our liberal arts institutions speak loudly to cast a vision for how higher education is adjusting to remain the premier preparation for those who hunger for an education. We must make bold shifts to showcase the value of an education.

The greatest opportunity we have will always point back to our impact on students. We begin by listening to the needs around us. We commit to re-envisioning the giftedness of our faculty to be less a purveyor of knowledge and repositioning them as problem-solving innovators that place students in the middle of exploration and application. We become the best at character development, triangulation, and community building. There may not be a better way to produce critical thinking and problem-solving skills than to practice in a way that impacts our communities.

I would love to hear other ideas and thoughts from my network about a future blueprint for success at our liberal arts institutions. ?

?

?

Tom Middendorf is the Provost and Senior Vice President of Trevecca Nazarene University, a Christian University in the heart of Nashville. Since 2019 he’s led TNU through seasons of growth and global change in his role as provost and senior vice president. He graduated from Trevecca and later earned a master’s degree in professional counseling in 2003 and an Ed.D. in ethical leadership in 2010 from Olivet Nazarene University. Tom is passionate about Christian Education because he believes it is a transformational time in human nature when education and faith merge. He’s been married for over two decades to his wife Jessica and together they are raising their children Marley and Asher. You can find Tom coaching, attending practices for his children, or maybe even fishing if there is a nearby body of water.?