Melanie Brasher, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and Megan Echevarria, Modern & Classical Languages & Literatures
March 16, 12:30pm
Galanti Lounge, Carothers Library & Livestreamed

This presentation will give an overview of the “field of study” approach as laid out in Laff and Carlson’s 2025 book Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter and What Really Does and how we currently integrate these ideas in our Spanish and Sociology courses. This book provides a teachable framework that helps students discern their true professional vocation and passion, uncover their “hidden intellectualism,” and discover and navigate the hidden job market. The framework further helps them connect their unique vocations, passions and ‘hidden intellectualism’ with coursework, experiential learning, and career planning so they can more fully appreciate and clearly articulate the value of their education and graduate with a coherent, employable, and singular story. This topic is of key importance in a society that often fails to see the value of a college education, especially in areas not tied directly and explicitly to specific career paths. The field of study approach connects core values of a liberal arts education such as sense of self, meaning-making, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and lifelong learning to authentic success in career readiness and outcomes. This talk will provide not only an overview of key ideas from the framework, but also concrete ideas for how to bridge the translation chasm – how the skills acquired and content learned in liberal arts classrooms are not only transferable but essential to the world of satisfying and purposeful work.