Many college students step onto campus with a sense of urgency about their futures. They often feel like they’re already behind in reaching their goals.
In his book, Undeclared: A Philosophy of Formative Higher Education, Chris Higgins, a professor at Boston College, aims to change this narrative. He encourages students to embrace the idea of exploring their interests instead of rushing to pick a specific career path.
Higgins was inspired to write this book after realizing that college should be a space for discovery. He noticed a growing pressure for students to choose a direction too quickly. “College should be a place for exploration,” he says, reflecting on the culture that encourages students to “pick a lane” and go full speed ahead.
While teaching at the University of Illinois, Higgins met a student anxious about being “undeclared.” The student felt stigmatized for not having chosen a major. This encounter opened Higgins’s eyes to the value of being undeclared as an opportunity for deeper exploration.
“In that moment, it clicked that being undeclared is a beautiful state,” he said. “It embodies the spirit of college: searching, questioning, and discovering your true self.”
The book consists of three long essays and three shorter sections. Each one examines the state of higher education and questions what it means to educate a whole person. Higgins believes that education should be a journey of personal growth, not just a preparation for jobs.
In his first essay, “Soul Action: The Search for Integrity,” he discusses the importance of teaching with a holistic approach. The second essay, “Wide Awake: Aesthetic Education at Black Mountain College,” highlights an institution that embraced the arts and holistic education during its existence in the mid-20th century.
The final essay, “Job Prospects: Vocational Formation as Humane Learning,” asks how colleges can help students find their vocation without turning education into a mere job training program. Higgins questions how universities can balance personal growth with career preparation.
Throughout his career, he has advocated for a focus on student growth rather than just employment outcomes. When exploring new teaching opportunities, he found Boston College’s environment aligned with his vision of formative education, particularly its Jesuit traditions that promote questions of meaning and purpose.
Higgins’s engagement at BC reflects his beliefs. Colleagues note that he embodies the principles he teaches. Cristiano Casalini, a professor at the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, highlights how Higgins’s work connects to his classroom experiences and societal contributions.
Higgins’s own college experience at Yale showed him both what higher education can give and what it often lacks in cultivating growth. He believes students need a framework to understand their educational journey’s meaning. “I wanted to find clarity in the liberal education model,” he said.
He critiques how colleges often promote a meritocratic system that mistakenly ties academic success directly to job opportunities. In this context, he references William Deresiewicz’s book Excellent Sheep, which explores the pressures students face in elite academic environments.
Higgins underscores that the value of education lies in how we approach learning experiences. He emphasizes that a core curriculum should be seen as a chance for growth, not a set of burdensome requirements. He also points out the significance of a college’s physical location as part of the educational experience.
Close colleagues, like Erik Owens, see Higgins’s commitment to formative education throughout his work. He stresses the importance of creating spaces for reflection in higher education, both in and out of the classroom.
In addition to his teaching role, Higgins collaborates with the Division of Student Affairs to integrate formative education into student life. He teaches a course for residential assistants that encourages them to support their peers meaningfully.
Ultimately, Higgins wants to reshape educational systems, shifting the focus from strict training paths to fostering student development as they journey into adulthood. “College is about the quest,” he concludes, urging students to embrace exploration and become curious seekers.
