ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Two years ago, one of us surveyed the undergraduate students in our department. While students indicated that they liked the department, they often felt that the course offerings did not provide a good background for the kinds of jobs they hoped to get after graduation. Their concerns were expressed in terms of the balance between a pragmatic, skills-based education and an education that emphasized theory and more conceptual approaches. In short, they questioned the relevance of their education for the kinds of jobs they hoped to attain. Their concern was that much of the material presented in classes is esoteric and understandable only to a small ‘in-group’ of other academics. In this way of thinking, ‘relevant’ and ‘esoteric’ are seen as opposites.
