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E-PrinceI was surprised to read in The Daily Princetonian on Oct. 15 that this University is failing in its mission. I was astounded to read what that mission is supposed to be.
Sam Norton '12 wrote that "the primary purpose ...
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Amen to that.
Norton raises a number of valid concerns and basically describes the views of most corporate hiring managers- this perspective is important for anyone who is applying for a job. Ultimately, technical skills- fostered by rigorous training in math and the sciences- are widely viewed as more valuable to employers than "soft" skills, cultivated by humanities departments. The career trajectory for humanities students is substantially diminished for those who do not pursue law degrees.
As for research, most subjects apart from the physical sciences, medicine and quantitative techniques (math and statistics) are generally useless. The world simply does not need more than a handful of English professors, historians, sociologists or political scientists. Their research papers are of little value in terms of adding to the national economic output or improving standards of living, either in advanced countries or the developing world.
@P'02: Granting what you said is true. That, itself, by all means doesn't mean what we do not pursue these majors that cultivate "soft skills".
Norton makes some good points, but he goes a bit far when he suggests the type of kids the university should admit.