President Kelley wants to make UND exceptional. I think that is fantastic. His five goals outlined during his State of the University address are inspiring, to say the least. The future of UND certainly looks bright.

In my opinion, however this isn’t so.

The university is setting goals under the standard premise of what a college education is. They are focused on building a more lucrative university that prepares students for careers, rather than one that broadens students thinking.

Answering the question of why I wanted to go to college has always been a challenge for me, and truthfully, never apparent. Frankly, I’ve always had the assumption I would go to college because it’s what everyone does, right? Not to mention my parents made it clear that going to college was a strict requirement, and there simply weren’t any other options.

Clearly the obvious answer is that a college education means a good job. We’ve all heard this, and it’s a banal expression that I find to be terribly misconstrued. On top of this one can no doubt conjure up a myriad of reasons for the meaning of college. There is, however, only one core purpose of the college education.

The principle goal is to exercise our mind. For instance, we go to the gym to stay healthy and fit. Well, college is similar; it’s about stretching and adapting our mind in order to prepare for the many challenges of working life.

Therefore, college needs to be focused on expanding horizons, garnering knowledge, honing specific skillsets and understanding one’s place in the world. This is, unfortunately, a forgotten mission.

Instead, the university system has become entrenched in capitalism as the goals function like that of a large business. President Kelley is specifically aligning his goals with the larger trends of the system. Kelley’s vision, along with most universities, focuses on being bigger, better, richer and fancier. But it stems from demand as students are selecting schools based on fancy gyms, new buildings contemporary student union buildings, and a plethora of other amenities.

Naturally, one wants to choose a school that’s nice. I cannot deny the fact I take this into consideration myself. But who really chooses a school because they offer distinct classes? Unfortunately, not many people do.

Just to be clear, I do think that universities, including UND, can become exceptional through new buildings, better retention rates, larger enrollments, more research and other amenities. However, a university truly focused on being exceptional needs to be concerned about exercising the mind through diverse class options, unique study plans, and novel approaches to learning.

So, if President Kelley really wants to make UND exceptional, he should focus on the true purpose of a college education. He must maintain that UND is a place in which a student can gain a holistic experience. Offering unique classes, and relaxing the stringent requirements of essential studies would be a necessary first step.

So, I looked up some courses that are offered by various universities across the country that strive to achieve this goal. Here are some examples: “What if Harry Potter is Real?” (Appalachian State University), “Whiteness: The Other Side of Racism” (Mount Holyoke College),  “Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyoncé” (Rutgers University), “Mad Men and Mad Women” (Middlebury College).

Admittedly, some of these courses are slightly frivolous, but one thing is certain. These unique courses are designed in order to exercise a student’s mind in a totally different framework. Students who take these courses are training their mind to view the world in a totally different light. Now that’s exceptional.

So, I would challenge President Kelley to find ways to maintain the true meaning of college at the University of North Dakota. I simply cannot see UND becoming exceptional if Kelley merely focuses on his five goals.

In the meantime, we should all strive to take elective classes outside of our major that aren’t required. Sure, it might take a heavy credit load to achieve this. But I can guarantee that stretching your mind will pay dividends in the future.

Colin Mummery is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].