General Education

Why? This question rests at the heart of the college experience for everyone on college campuses and in college towns: students, faculty, staff, business owners, residents. However, college students – especially those in the early phases of their college years – are in a unique position to think about this question. The transition into college studentness often leads to reflecting on someone’s “why” for  attending college and how it affects the purpose of their education.  Factors like finances can also change how purpose is thought about. 

Below we’ve assembled parts of the “College Life” oral histories where interviewees explain their personal “why” for attending college and grapple with the meaning of their college years.  Why might involve making all the long-distance weekend commuting and classroom struggles worth it.  Or someone’s answer might be shaped by a relationship with mentors, family, or the younger students they worked with during internships. Regardless, their testimonies show that being a college student in a college town goes far beyond just receiving an education. Their stories mark a crossroads between students’ past and present where both  kinds of “whys” – past past ones, present ones realized after some reflection – influence how we view UWL and La Crosse as institutions, places and homes. This intermediary process shapes lives and informal communities in La Crosse across multiple generations. Consider how these oral histories impact your own ideas regarding the purpose of a college education and college towns as places more generally.

Learning how to live in community with one another is also an essential part of being a college student. So we’re connecting this blog post to a concept called “ethos of care” which can help members of a campus community reflect on the best ways to support each other. Pioneered by Nel Noddings in 1984, the ethics (or ethos) of care concept argues that developing caring relationships is both an educational goal and foundational part of our education. “Ethos of care” has taken on new meaning since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for university faculty.* In the “College Life” project, we’re offering the “ethos of care” framework to help understand how our interviewees build lasting friendships and communities during their time at UWL. 

Harry (first year: 1985)

In the following clips, Harry discusses the impact his learning condition had on his personal views about the meaning of his education. He describes the help he received from his parents, a private tutor, and the accommodations he received from what is now UWL’s ACCESS Center. This entire process kept the door to Harry’s education open, giving him the opportunity to pursue learning and advocate for an exemption to a math course requirement. He also describes a love of learning, reminding us about an essential answer to the “why?” question which sometimes gets lost in the mix of academic pressures associated with college life.  La Crosse also left a lasting impression on Harry beyond just his college experience. He explains why the city is one of his favorite places to return to because of how his college years shaped his identity. Harry’s acknowledgement about the power of place is extremely important: he suggests the college towns that universities are located in can also leave an indelible mark on generations of college students.

Troy (first year: 1984)

Troy’s “why” evolved throughout his college years, especially in response to mentorship and internships. He was challenged to interrogate his personal values by UWL faculty including Dr. James Parker. His experience tutoring through Upward Bound and student teaching in the La Crosse School District likewise shaped his sense of purpose. Troy also had the unique opportunity to pay this experience forward teaching EFN 205(Understand Human Difference) at UWL from 2001 to 2012. Troy’s combined experience at UWL as both college student and staff member shows how his “why” became centered around an “ethos of care” for the friends he made in college and the students he continues to impact today. (Clip length: 6:28)

Peter (first year: 1984)

Peter’s life as a college student shows how the “why” for students can change as the financial pressures of college begin to compound. He describes how tight finances forced him to work multiple jobs throughout college, drastically restricting his ability to be involved on campus or maintain an extensive social life. The most glaring example came later in his college years: his time working for his brother’s roofing company in Milwaukee. Peter spent long three-day weekends commuting to work with his brother to make ends meet. His schedule forced him to frontload his classes earlier in the week, so the roofing job could fit into his schedule and ultimately keep his aspirations to finish college afloat. Peter’s “why” – finishing his education – meant that he had less ability to be involved on campus in the ways that other “College Life” interviewees described.  (See our blog post on Involvement.)

Mike (first year: 1977)

Mike’s “Handful of Ls” philosophy shows how someone’s collegiate “why” can evolve to impact how they live their lives. He describes how everyone should continue to learn, laugh, live, love, and leave a legacy. Like Troy, Mike’s “why” – developed throughout his years as a student, coach, teacher, and university administrator – reflects an “ethos of care” that extends into the community he lives in now. While we can easily get wrapped up in a “college-to-career” mindset, learning how to live as part of a university community matters too. (Clip length: 1:37)

Ashlyn (first year: 2018)

Ashlyn’s college decisions were influenced heavily by her father, her aunt, and her advisors. She describes trying to navigate family suggestions that she major in the sciences, which we intended to set her on a prosperous career path. Being a first-generation college student left her unsure how to navigate the decision-making process surrounding college. She credits her aunt’s mentorship (a college professor), who took her on campus visits, guided her through the application process, and helped her decide on a major. Her aunt’s mentorship combined with the relationships Ashlyn cultivated with faculty advisors highlight the importance of strong social support networks before and during college.

Production credits: writing by Isaac Wegner and Tiffany Trimmer, research and conceptualization by Isaac Wegner, web design by Olivia Steil, collection processing by Shaylin Crack, Julia Milne, Isaac Wegner.

* Emily Skop, Martina Angela Caretta, Carolina Faria, and Jessie Smith suggest the “ethos of care” can be used as a model to develop caring, collaborative academic relationships that recognize “the historic and enduring academic legacies of inequity, injustice and intellectual exploitation and that act to redress those injustices” to create a more equitable academic environment for collaboration. See Emily Skop, Martina Angela Caretta, Caroline Faria, and Jessi L. Smith, “An Ethos of Care,” Inside Higher Education October 14th, 2021; online version at https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/10/15/pledge-foster-more-equitable-research-collaborations-opinion.