Frequently Asked Questions for Parents of Undecided Students

Sending a son or daughter to college is a major life event for all family members. At Aurora, we’re committed to helping you and your student succeed by providing information to help guide you as you adjust to this new phase in your lives.

Q: What services does Aurora University offer to assist my student’s career decision-making process?
A: Aurora University is dedicated to helping parents guide their student’s career decision-making process. You can help your student get the most out of the time he/she spends at AU by encouraging them to use the Crouse Center for Student Success. The Crouse Center provides a variety of programs and services to assist students and alumni with career related issues including the career development process, career exploration, study abroad opportunities, internship preparation and graduate school preparation. The Center also helps employers with their recruitment needs. If you would like more information about just how Aurora’s Crouse Center will help your son or daughter succeed, please feel free to contact them at 630-844-6870 or via e-mail at career@aurora.edu.

Q: What is the “value” of a liberal arts degree for my student’s future professional life? Why should I support my son’s or daughter’s decision to be an undecided Liberal Arts major?
A: Both Aurora University’s alumni experiences and industry studies consistently show that liberal arts graduates succeed in a variety of careers, regardless of their major. Yes! They do find jobs after graduation!

It is common for the Liberal Arts students to be asked, "What are you going to do with that major?" At Aurora University, we believe that is the wrong question. The question to ask is, "What do you want to do? What is your passion? And how can you show through your degree and your experiences that you can do it?"

Industry professionals understand that a Liberal Arts degree is timeless and eternally useful. Students don't have to worry about trends or try to speculate about the "best" preparation for their next 30 years or more in the workplace. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top ten characteristics employers (on average) seek in job candidates are: communication skills, honesty/integrity, teamwork skills, interpersonal skills, motivation/initiative, strong work ethic, analytical skills, flexibility/adaptability, computer skills and self-confidence. This survey suggests that employers are seeking critical thinkers, problem solvers, effective communicators and individuals who have demonstrated they can work well with others. These are important skills often associated with liberal arts graduates — skills your student will begin developing regardless of whether they initially decide on a specific major or not.

One of the greatest challenges facing the incoming college student is a highly dynamic and changing global workplace. These challenges were recently summarized in a report conducted by the RAND Corporation for the US Department of Labor. In this study, the authors noted that:

“Rapid technological change and increased international competition place the spotlight on the skills and preparation of the workforce, particularly the ability to adapt to changing technologies and shifting product demand. Shifts in the nature of business organizations and the growing importance of knowledge-based work also favor strong nonroutine cognitive skills, such as abstract reasoning, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Within this context, education and training become a continuous process throughout the life course involving training and retraining that continues well past initial entry into the labor market.” (Karoly & Panis, The 21st Century at Work: Forces Shaping the Future Workforce and Workplace in the United States, RAND Corporation report prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor)

The conclusions of the RAND-Department of Labor report suggest that your son or daughter will face a very different workplace over the coming decades. That workplace will be global, technological, and multicultural. College graduates need the skills to manage this highly dynamic employment market. The average number of jobs held by Americans over a lifetime is now greater than ten and continues to grow. There has been a shift from lifelong employment to lifetime job search and career growth as employees embrace a “free agent” mindset, becoming increasingly mobile, using technology to continually monitor work opportunities. A Liberal Arts degree will provide your son or daughter will a toolbox of skills that can be adapted and transformed as his or her future careers needs demand.

Your student’s Liberal Arts degree will provide them with the basic skills and knowledge they need to develop their evolving lifetime career goals. Very few students know exactly where they're going or what they will be doing in 5 years or 10 years or 20 years-- but students can explore what excites them while acquiring summer jobs and internship experiences to assist them to make up their minds. Aurora University will assist in the process.