English majors benefit from learning math. Nursing students need to take art as well as biology. And the U.S. should provide college students a comprehensive education that emphasizes a formal process for how to solve unfamiliar problems through critical thinking.
Alex Fitzner, an English instructor at Pellissippi State Community College, expounds on these and other thoughts on academics in “We Don’t Need No Education.” The lecture is Thursday, Nov. 17, 12:30-1:30 p.m., in the Goins Building Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road. The community is invited to the free presentation, which is part of the college’s ongoing Faculty Lecture Series.
“Why do employers value degrees? How do general education courses contribute to students’ success in major classes and beyond?” Fitzner asks.
“Students often arrive at Pellissippi State with the goal of bettering themselves,” he said. “There’s a lot more to bettering oneself than getting a better job. I will challenge the notion that colleges need to be more job-oriented and that we need to get students through faster.”
For more information, contact Trent Eades, tweades@pstcc.edu, or Keith Norris, knorris@pstcc.edu. To request accommodations for a disability, contact the executive director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action at (865) 694-6607 or humanresources@pstcc.edu.
The next presentation in the Faculty Lecture Series is “Stem Cells: the Hope of the Future” by Susan McMahon, professor of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, Feb. 17, 12:30-1:30 p.m., in the same location.