Guilds, Jedi Master and Apprentice

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: College Development
• Date: Apr 17,2008

Hundreds of years ago the apprentice blacksmith rigorously worked, attempting to please his master that one day he may become a master himself. We had thought the days of master and apprentice were long gone, or only in a galaxy far far away. But Kalamazoo College is introducing guilds with the hopes that the guilds will revolutionize liberal studies. Below is a summary of the guilds taken from the Kalamazoo Guilds website:

The Kalamazoo College Guilds will bring together the college community, especially alumni and current students, around interdisciplinary issues that affect today’s world. These voluntary membership organizations will integrate experiences and classroom learning and provide professional development and networking opportunities in order to bridge students’ liberal arts education with the world they will encounter upon graduation. Guilds will connect students to mentors and professional opportunities, foster leadership among students, and allow participants to realize their potential to positively impact the world through their work.

“This is a brilliant idea that no other school has done,” Joan Hawxhurst, guild coordinator, said. “They looked and looked to find other models. The closest they could find was a Princeton Class of 1955 alumni in public service.”(mlive.com)

There will be four guilds at Kalamazoo: Business, Health, Justice and Peace, and Sustainability.

I find the idea of guilds very intriguing (maybe because I am a fan of fantasy novels and games). I believe the essential part of this program is getting the community involved. The more the community is involved the more support that goes to education. The idea of guilds is probably at the beginning stage, but if more and more universities begin the program we could see guilds evolve to become something very of great significance.

What do you think about guilds?