A small college in Michigan has taken the remarkable step of guaranteeing that its students will get jobs if they finish school. And not just any jobs, good jobs. According to a piece by Daniel de Vise at the Washington Post:
Albion College… may be the first institution of its sort to guarantee students “meaningful employment” after graduation.
The Albion Advantage kicks in with this year’s freshmen, who are on pace to graduate three years and nine months from now. The pledge is an offer of help to students who don’t find a fulfilling job in a reasonable span: by the end of summer or, for December graduates, within a month. The college will offer several types of support, including internships, research assistant positions, even the chance to return to school and take more classes at no charge. Students have two years to invoke the pledge.
That’s an interesting offer and a welcome sign that the liberal arts college does at recognize that its students do have some (pretty limited) expectations for their degrees. It may be hard for students to meet those expectations in this economy.
Still, including room and board Albion College costs $40,331 a year. If students can’t find a job they don’t want internships or “the chance to return to school and take more classes,” they want a job. How’s Albion going to help with that? [Image via]
