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ALISA HINES: ACROSS AMERICA SCHOOLS ARE CUTTING THEIR BUDGETS; AND
MANY PROGRAMS BEING LEFT OUT ARE THE LIBERAL ARTS.
OUR ROB MCCLENDON SAT DOWN WITH OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
ROBERT HENRY, TO DISCUSS THE ROLE LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION PLAYS IN A
TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN WORLD.
ROB MCCLENDON: WELL MR HENRY, SOME OF THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT WE ARE
CURRENTLY SEEING IN OUR COUNTRY IS WITH RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES; WHAT
COULD THAT TELL US ABOUT OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM HERE IN THE COUNTRY?
ROBERT HENRY: WELL, I THINK THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS NOT PANIC
BECAUSE WE ARE GOING THROUGH A HARD ECONOMIC TIME; AND, I ACTUALLY DO
BELIEVE THAT THE RECOVERY IS UPON US.
THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE HAD A GREAT COVER RECENTLY THAT SHOWED SOME PEOPLE IN
AN INDIANA JONES TYPE THING, HACKING THROUGH THE FOREST, AND THEY SEE THIS,
THIS TREASURE OF SOLOMON'S LOST MINE AND ONE OF THEM SAYS, WHAT IS IT?
AND THE OTHER ONE SAYS, CRIKEY, IT'S THE RECOVERY, YOU KNOW; SO, WE MAY BE
UPON THE RECOVERY.
THE OTHER THING I THINK IT TELLS US IS THAT SOME AREAS OF THE ECONOMY COULD
PROBABLY PROFIT MORE FROM EDUCATION THAN OTHERS.
OUR SCHOOL OF NURSING, WE HAVE 100% EMPLOYMENT WITHIN A MONTH OF ALL OF
OUR NURSING GRADUATES; AND, WE'VE GROWN 40% OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO, THERE ARE SOME PROFESSIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN NEED.
ROB: WHERE THAT IS A SPECIFIC SKILL THAT THEY'RE LEARNING IN THE
SCHOOL, UH, THE SCHOOL OF NURSING; HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO SAY, A
HUMANITIES DEGREE OR A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE, WHERE THAT EDUCATION MAY BE MORE
ESOTERIC?
HENRY: WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP
AND IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE ARE A LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL, OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY, AND SO
CONSEQUENTLY OUR NURSING GRADUATES HAVE TO TAKE THE LIBERAL ARTS CORE; THEY'VE
GOT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HISTORY, THEY'VE GOT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT
GOVERNMENT, THEY'VE GOT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY, THEY'LL GET
MORE OF THAT IN NURSING.
AND, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT NURSES THAT HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING, THAT, THAT
CORE OF KNOWLEDGE ARE GONNA BE BETTER WHEN THEY DEAL WITH THEIR PATIENTS.
BUT, THEY ALSO TEACH YOU HOW TO THINK AND HOW, HOW TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE AND
THIS SOMETHING THAT STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TODAY.
ROB: WELL MR HENRY, YOURS IS A CONVERSATION I'LL ALWAYS ENJOY; THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
HENRY: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.