I attended today’s morning session on the latest AAC&U employer survey. This most recent report included hiring managers as well executives.

The continuing good news for liberal education is that employers are looking for students with broad education. Previous surveys have indicated that employers prefer a portfolio a skills and dispositions more than major-related schools, and that trend continues. Some important highlights:

• Employers find e-portfolios combined with transcripts much more powerful than transcripts alone.

• Employers value Oral Communication skills more than any other skill domain, but there is a significant gap between their expectations and what the students can do. Editorializing a little, this should give us pause about what we’re delivering to students in this area.

• Among college experiences, employers value internships most, followed by community projects with diverse populations, writing-intensive courses, research projects with peers…

One interesting insight that came out of the discussion. In their free responses, employers indicate that they value the dispositions that a college education develops: patience, determination, resourcefulness (grit?), an ability to work with others, an ability to confront challenges…