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PREPARE WOMEN FOR REWARDING LIVES IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD

The relationship between the liberal arts and the world of work has been a debated topic for decades.  We need to re-think our responsibility to prepare students for their lives beyond college.  Current students demand it as they look forward to entering a competitive workplace with high ambitions.  Alumnae discussions have revealed the need to provide women with better tools to approach a life of multiple careers and the challenges of balancing family obligations with work and other commitments.

As a women’s college, Smith has a particular obligation to help students reflect systematically and deeply about how they imagine a fulfilling life.  We can structure opportunities for students to consider the relationship between their activities across the curriculum and the co-curriculum: in the classroom, research and independent study, internships, community service, work-study, study abroad, and leadership in student organizations.  We are currently developing a January term program about work-life balance designed to engage students in reflecting on the multiple goals of their lives and their relationships to one another.   We need to identify other ways in which students can bring their experiences outside the classroom back to their academic pursuits on campus, and to consider how to provide students and alumnae with more opportunities for interaction. 

Our efforts should build upon two projects from the last strategic planning process that specifically address the world of work: the Praxis internships and Women and Financial Independence.  The Career Development Office needs to be more fully integrated into this strategic focus, helping to coordinate mentoring relationships between current students and alumnae.

Areas for Exploration

	How can the college encourage inquiry-based learning and connections to the world of work, such as student research opportunities, internships, engagement with alumnae, and community-based learning?
	What initiatives should the college pursue to provide students with effective models of work-life balance to reduce stress on campus and to prepare students to lead healthy and productive lives?
	How can we enhance links between students and alumnae to position students more powerfully as they compete for jobs?
	How should we re-think work-study opportunities to take advantage of their potential as preparation for life beyond Smith?

Potential Strategies Emerging from Campus and Alumnae Discussions

	Enhance connections between students and alumnae and among alumnae after graduation through continuing education opportunities, networking, mentoring, and alumnae-related internships.
	Link the Career Development Office, Praxis, Women and Financial Independence, the leadership program, summer science, and other college efforts to create a systematic preparation for students’ lives beyond Smith.
	Support curricular initiatives that encourage students to integrate and synthesize their multiple experiences at Smith.

	Next: Support and Promote Environmental Sustainability >

The Planning Process

Re-imagining the
Liberal Arts at Smith

Strategic Directions

Strengthen essential student capacities

Promote a culture of research, inquiry,
& discovery

Encourage purposeful engagement with society’s challenges

Deepen students’ awareness &
appreciation of
other cultures &
global issues

Prepare women for rewarding lives in a rapidly changing world

Support & promote environmental sustainability

Open doors to
women of promise

Extend Smith’s
impact on the world

Committee on
Mission & Priorities