Chris Higgins, "Undeclared: A Philosophy of Formative Higher Education" (MIT Press, 2024)
Mar 4, 2025
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Chris Higgins, Associate Professor and Chair of Formative Education at Boston College, dives into transformative higher education. He argues for universities to prioritize self-discovery and holistic development over mere credentialism. Topics include the evolution of student values, critiques of checkbox learning, and the need for public universities to foster civic engagement. Higgins also emphasizes the lessons from Black Mountain College and the importance of embodied learning, challenging the current structures that limit personal growth.
Higher education should focus on fostering personal growth and self-discovery rather than prioritizing financial success and credentials.
The general education curriculum needs restructuring to genuinely integrate diverse knowledge, promoting whole-person development over a check-the-box mentality.
Public universities must redefine their roles to enhance social mobility, cultivate engaged citizens, and emphasize holistic educational missions for the common good.
Deep dives
Redefining Higher Education's Purpose
Higher education often focuses on providing credentials, but a deeper purpose is suggested: the development of individuals pursuing meaningful lives. The current model emphasizes financial success over personal growth, as indicated by trends in student priorities over the decades. Initially, many students prioritized developing a personal philosophy of life, but this has shifted dramatically towards financial well-being since the 1980s. This change reflects a broader societal trend where universities market themselves as venues for financial gain rather than holistic self-discovery.
Critique of General Education Curriculum
The general education curriculum in universities often falls short of its ideal objective, which is to foster whole-person development. Critics argue that the current approach focuses on administrative distribution of courses rather than genuine integration of diverse knowledge and experiences. This system leads students to approach their education with a check-the-box mentality, instead of fostering a meaningful exploration of their own interests and identities. There is a need for a more coherent curricular design that connects students' major areas of study with broader educational goals.
The Importance of Reorientation for Students
Students often arrive at college with a focus on external measures of success rather than internal growth, necessitating a reorientation. The concept of new student orientation should evolve from merely logistical introductions to meaningful engagement with their educational journey. By shifting the narrative from competition and achievement to learning and exploration, students may better understand their roles as learners rather than just 'students' fulfilling requirements. This adjustment promotes a more enriching college experience that emphasizes self-discovery rather than mere performance.
The Concept of Jobification vs. Vocational Education
The current landscape of higher education has shifted towards a 'jobification' model, focusing on immediate employment credentials rather than true vocational education that nurtures individual potential. This trend overlooks the critical aspect of finding a personal calling or engaging in self-discovery, causing students to feel pressured into predefined career paths. A meaningful vocational education should support students in exploring their interests and connecting them to societal needs. By fostering this approach, higher education can reclaim its role in cultivating well-rounded, purposeful professionals.
The Role of Public Universities in Society
Public universities are meant to provide access and opportunities for all, fostering social mobility and serving the common good. However, there is a challenge in redefining what constitutes a public university amidst contemporary educational stratification. These institutions should actively contribute to creating engaged citizens capable of discourse across diverse perspectives. By embracing their mission to develop a public ethos, universities can enhance their contributions to democracy and society while also nurturing their students' holistic development.
What if college were not just a means of acquiring credentials, but a place to pursue our formation as whole persons striving to lead lives of meaning and purpose? In Undeclared, Chris Higgins confronts the contemporary university in a bid to reclaim a formative mission for higher education. In a series of searching essays and pointed interludes, Higgins challenges us to acknowledge how far our practices have drifted from our ideals, asking: What would it look like to build a college from the ground up to support self-discovery and personal integration? What does it mean to be a public university, and are there any left? How can the humanities help the job-ified university begin to take vocation seriously?
Cutting through the underbrush of received ideas, Higgins follows the insight where it leads, clearing a path from the corporate multiversity to the renaissance in higher education that was Black Mountain College and back again. Along the way, we tour a campus bent on becoming a shopping mall, accompany John Dewey through a midlife crisis, and witness the first "happening.” Through diverse and grounded philosophical engagements, Undeclared assembles the resources to expand the contemporary educational imagination.
Chris Higgins is Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Formative Education in Boston College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development, where he directs the Transformative Educational Studies program. He is the author of The Good Life of Teaching.
