Creativity and Higher Education
What do you think of when you hear the word creativity? I imagine most people would say something along the lines of imagination, art, exploration, or whimsy. Creating something new or unusual. Now, what comes to mind you when you think about higher education? People may say something related to status, traditions, costly, and learning among many other things. Now, where might those two things connect? While many may not associate creativity with higher education, I would argue that creativity is essential to addressing the most pressing needs in post-secondary education.
It would take an entirely new blog to fully discuss the nature of creativity and its potential impact on higher education, but I will briefly provide some key points as to why it should be more prevalent in post-secondary education. It’s fairly safe to say that the present-day students, faculty, and staff within higher education are quite different than the ones who inhabited the institutions when they were first established in this country. The expectations regarding post-secondary education are also different because of the ways the country has changed over the last 300+ years. However, many of the practices regarding teaching, research, and leadership remain the same. There are a host of new challenges facing higher education today and they will persist if we continue to approach problem solving with traditional methods.
So, why does creativity matter in higher education? Catmull and Wallace (2014) explain “that imagining—dreaming, noodling, audaciously rejecting what is (for the moment) true—is the way we discover what is new or important” (p. 307). Institutions of higher education have to embrace change, risk, and the unknown1 to meet the needs of today. We have to dramatically reimagine the role, worth, and impact of higher education to better serve current and future constituents. This is the responsibility of every person at every level of the institution, therefore we must be prepared to practice creativity in all aspects of our work.
So how do you find out if the office or institution you are applying to values and incorporates creativity? You can start by asking “what is the office philosophy on creativity?”. This is a question that may come as a surprise for the committee. As I mentioned earlier, creativity isn’t necessarily something people associate with higher education...that includes its own professionals. But you can find evidence of creativity in the programs, resources, and policies within the office, department, and institution. That being said, what kind of things do you want to see in an answer?
Green flags would include acknowledging the value of creativity and incorporating it into several (or all) aspects of the work of the office, particularly as it relates to planning and preparing for the future. Creativity should be encouraged through the support of risk taking and willingness to do things differently. The significance of creativity is also shown through a collective responsibility of failure when an idea doesn’t work out. There is no need to assign blame because risk is valued among the team and every outcome is an opportunity for learning and growth.
On the other side of the spectrum, red flags would be if creativity is not pursued at all. Much of the rationale for the work done in the office is based on tradition or “that’s how we’ve always done it”. There is not a willingness to try things differently or incorporate new approaches. Ideally, people are at least open to new ideas, but complete rejection of innovation is a strong red flag. You can usually find this out if you look at the programs/resources the office provides. Most offices will have staple/traditional events and opportunities but they should also have new things they try to add from time to time. If they haven’t done anything new for several years or don’t have anything new prepared for the future take it as a red flag.
Overall, there is a lot of potential in the use of creativity to create change in higher education. It should be something that is more regularly taken into consideration. Like most things in higher education, it will take time, but be prepared to look for it in all aspects of your work.
1: Catmull, E., & Wallace, A. (2014). Creativity, Inc: overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. Random House.
TL/DR:
Theme: Additional Questions
Ask: What is the office philosophy on creativity?
Meaning: What does creativity mean for the work of this office? How does creativity show up in the work here?
Green Flags: Value and incorporate creativity into office planning, shared responsibility for failed ideas, willingness to assume risk
Red Flags: Over-reliance on tradition, no new plans for future work, unwilling to try things differently, complete rejection of innovation
