Why, several people have asked, do students in mortuary science or automotive technology need to have a liberal education? Does it make a mechanic any better if he knows a little about Descartes? they ask.

This reasoning may seem logical, but reality is more complex than these arguments suggest.

We believe the transformation of these programs into four-year degrees is a good idea that is in the best interest of SIUC students.

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Don’t take our word, though. Listen to people who know what is going on in these fields.

Pat Haugh, president of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, said the extra two years of classes students must go through would be very helpful when they actually begin searching for employment in their field.

Having a bachelor of science degree instead of an associate’s degree would bring more diversity into a person’s education, Haugh said. Classes in areas like business and communications look good in the eyes of employers according to Haugh. It is difficult to take such classes, however, when a student is in a two-year associate’s program that is narrowly focused on technical training.

Dr. Elizabeth Brutvan, director of professional development at the American Association of Dental Hygienists, also said a bachelor’s degree is more useful to a student than an associate’s degree.

Brutvan said graduates with a four-year degree simply have more options in the dental hygiene field. A two-year degree, she said, basically limits a person to working in private dental practices. A person with a bachelor’s in dental hygiene can find work not only in private practices but also with corporations such as Proctor and Gamble or Oral B.

Dental hygienists with bachelor’s degrees can also find employment in public health programs and possibly even teach in community college programs, Brutvan said.

Officials at the Air Transport Association echoed these sentiments. They added that in a field like aviation technology new advances have made the trade more complex to the point that having only two years of education can leave a large pool of knowledge unexplored.

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To put it simply, there is more to these technical careers than just the basic skills. We believe CTC’s initiative to change the programs into four-year curriculums reflects this.

We believe CTC’s reorganization is a great effort at trying to anticipate what students will need when they graduate and adapting SIUC’s curriculum to fit those needs.

Knowing a little about Descartes might not make someone better at fixing cars, but it may help them find a job.