CTCL E-News January 2008

Mark Your 2008 Calendar

It is possible to experience a stress-free, successful college search process that ends with a college fit that is right for each student. This is the message that Colleges That Change Lives will bring to communities during the continuation of the 11th annual series of national tours.

"Too often the focus of the college search is on ranking and ratings, which does not acknowledge the individual needs of each student and how they will 'fit' with the mission and identity of a campus community," says Marty O'Connell, Executive Director of Colleges That Change Lives. We hope you will join us for one of the events in your area to learn more.

Future Engineers Need a Liberal Arts Background

Students contemplating a major in engineering should consider the recent report from the National Academy of Engineering, " Engineering Research and America's Future: Meeting the Challenges of a Global Economy."

In the report, James Duderstadt, the president emeritus and a former dean of engineering at the University of Michigan, advocates that students will be better prepared engineers if they receive a liberal-arts education as undergraduates and then pursue graduate degrees as a standard route into the profession. He argues that a more well rounded education is necessary in order to understand and prepare for the world's economic and societal problems.

Many of the CTCL colleges embrace this philosophy and offer 3-2 Pre-Engineering programs, allowing students to complete both the liberal arts and engineering degrees in five years. Read the profiles of each of the 40 CTCL colleges by region to learn about their 3:2 Engineering programs.