1. Adding value to the humanist graduate
Between standardized education and individual profiling

2. During the coffee break, the student participants in the advisory board meeting started discussing what elective subjects, they had chosen. Peter explained that he had chosen Journalistic Communication, because he already worked so much with organization and management in his spare time. Julie also did a lot of activities outside her studies, she explained, because she felt like she had to design herself, not to look like the others.
Observation notes, May 2017
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3. The value of the humanist graduate
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4. Employability perspective
The value of the humanist graduate
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5. The value of the humanist graduate
Employability perspective
Ethnographic analysis
The value of the humanist graduate
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6. The value of the humanist graduate
Employability perspective
Ethnographic analysis
The value of the humanist graduate
Study of materialized valuation practices
Fenwick, T. & Edwards, R. (2011): “Considering Materiality in Educational Policy: Messy Objects and Multiple Reals”. Educational Theory, 61(6), pp
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7. The value of the humanist graduate
Employability perspective
Ethnographic analysis
The value of the humanist graduate
Valuation as simultaneous assessment and labelling
Study of materialized valuation practices
Munesia, F. (2012): “A flank movement in the understanding of valuation”. The Sociological review, 59, p. 32.
Fenwick, T. & Edwards, R. (2011): “Considering Materiality in Educational Policy: Messy Objects and Multiple Reals”. Educational Theory, 61(6), pp
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8. The value of the humanist graduate
Employability perspective
Preliminary ethnographic observation material
Ethnographic analysis
The value of the humanist graduate
Valuation as simultaneous assessment and labelling
Study of materialized valuation practices
Munesia, F. (2012): “A flank movement in the understanding of valuation”. The Sociological review, 59, p. 32.
Fenwick, T. & Edwards, R. (2011): “Considering Materiality in Educational Policy: Messy Objects and Multiple Reals”. Educational Theory, 61(6), pp
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9. The value of the humanist graduate
Employability perspective
Preliminary ethnographic observation material
Ethnographic analysis
The value of the humanist graduate
Valuation as simultaneous assessment and labelling
Study of materialized valuation practices
Humanities + Denmark
Munesia, F. (2012): “A flank movement in the understanding of valuation”. The Sociological review, 59, p. 32.
Fenwick, T. & Edwards, R. (2011): “Considering Materiality in Educational Policy: Messy Objects and Multiple Reals”. Educational Theory, 61(6), pp
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10. The humanist graduate as a standard product
University legitimizing formal qualification credentials
Tomlinson, M. (2012): ”Graduate Employability: A Review of Conceptual and Empirical Themes”, Higher Education Policy, vol. 25, pp
Standardization materialized into study regulations:
Learning outcomes
Graduate profile
Valuation of the graduate materialized into the grades sheet:
Value assessed according to learning outcomes
Value labelled for the use of future employers

11. Observation notes, August 2017
On the agenda of todays advisory board meeting are the coming changes of the study regulations of several degree programs. Arthur, the deputy head of the department, presents all the suggested changes as bullet points on a slide, including specified requirements for several of the student assignments. When he is done, one of the employers in the room asks, if these changes represent a normalization of the degree programs. Arthur hesitates a bit. “This would be good for us employers”, the employer says, because the requirements will make it less uncertain, what content the graduates have covered during their studies.
Observation notes, August 2017
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12. Observation notes, September 2016; March 2017
I rarely hear employers talk about grades or degrees, when they explain what they look for when they are recruiting a new employee. A degree is often a requirement, yes, but when selecting candidates for job interviews, it is more about personal values and beliefs, personality, what the applicants engaged in, what they want to do, what they chose to be particularly good at…
Observation notes, September 2016; March 2017
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13. The humanist graduate as an individual profile
Valuation of the graduate materialized into the CV:
Value assessed and labelled according to experience
Achieving positional advantage
Adding value through the application letter:
Building a dynamic employability narrative, including both hard and soft currencies
Tomlinson, M. (2012): ”Graduate Employability: A Review of Conceptual and Empirical Themes”, Higher Education Policy, vol. 25, pp
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14. Trends towards standardization
The Bologna Process:
ECTS, Module Structures – standardization of time
Qualification Frameworks and Learning Outcomes – standardization of the educational product
The Danish policy context:
The Study Progress Reform – students expect to downgrade the time spent on part time jobs, internships and international mobility (Danish report from 2016)
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15. A new task for universities
Massification:
A degree gradually becomes less sufficient for ensuring positional advantage
Employability agenda:
Degree programs and universities are measured on graduate employment
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16. Conclusion
There seems to be a tension between: a) standardization of higher education and certainty of educational content and quality b) developing an individual profile of each graduate with experience, cultural skills, personality, values, and so on (at least within the humanities)
Trends going towards standardization and less opportunity for students to build other credentials alongside their studies (at least within the specific current Danish policy constellation)
The employability of the graduates – and their positional advantage on the labor market – is now a university matter!
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17. Pointing towards the future
Questions for higher education practice:
How can we design higher education in a standardized educational system with spaces for building uniqueness? …experience? …values? …personality?
Questions for philosophy of higher education:
What is (higher) education? What is a degree? Is it about building sameness, or can it be about building uniqueness? Can standardized degree programs educate for ‘bildung’ and accommodate the unpredictable?
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