Newswise — People have been pursuing higher education and advanced degrees for centuries, but why and to what end? Boise State University professors Stephanie Cox and Jennifer Black have investigated the history of higher education, from Socrates to the present day. They can talk about what has changed and how the educational process has evolved over the years. Using the fundamentals from their upcoming Foundational Studies Program course at Boise State, they look at the balance between preparation for a specific career and the value of a broad-based curriculum, as well as the role that technology plays in the changing face of higher education, and how to focus on what you can get out of a college education at least as much as the process of getting into a college environment.

Cox is a lecturer in the English Department, where she teaches undergraduate writing courses. She has a B.A. and an M.A., both from Kansas State University.

Black also is a lecturer in the English Department, where she teaches courses in Western Humanities, British Literature and English Composition. She received her Ph.D. from Boston University and has an M.A. and a B.A. from Brigham Young University.

In recent years, the two have been part of a collaboration to study and improve the teaching of writing in online environments. They have co-presented at the Conference for College Composition and Communication, the Computers and Writing conference, and the National Council for Teachers of English conference.

Listen to a podcast on the higher education topic by Cox and Black, and learn about a number of other Boise State University faculty experts at http://beyondtheblue.boisestate.edu/, Boise State’s award-winning website of podcast presentations on a wide range of relevant topics.