There is a reason why the rise of the university comes along with civilizational progress and not only that, a rise of economic activity. There's a reason why the college emerged and there's a reason why the university emerged in the medieval period of Western civilization. There is a reason why societies put so much investment in, so much priority upon the education of the young. Now, all that doesn't mean that education's not important, it is. And then you look at the fact that a few years after graduation, fewer people than you might think are actually working in the very field in which they may have earned an undergraduate degree. And yet you look at the number of jobs related to those majors and you realize this is really not going to add up much. You have the rise of certain kinds of majors that all of a sudden become very sexy, so to speak, in marketing, very attractive. It's lost its mind in the sense that if you look at the catalogs of many universities, there is a complexity of majors and minors and programs and areas of study that simply seems to have very little connection with reality. But it's also clear that the modern system of higher education has lost both its mind and its soul.
There's more to the story than that, but there is not less to the story than that. You go back to the period of the 1960s and '70s, a vast infusion of federal money by no coincidence led to a vast increase in the cost of higher education and in tuition costs, all that's related. For one thing, the very high cost of higher education and it's not just a cost born by the student or the student's family, it's increasingly a cost born by the society. Together, we're engineering a better experience.What is the purpose of education? What's the purpose of higher education? If you are going to college, why? What do you hope to obtain there? Why are you going to college or university? Why would you send someone you love to college or university? Why are so many untold billions upon billions of dollars spent in the enterprise of higher education? What does it mean? Why does it matter? Well, it's interesting that, that question is being asked out loud in many different circles. We dig into every project with passion and curiosity because each of us has a personal stake in our work. A 100% employee- owned ESOP since 2015, we earned recognition as one of Kansas City's Best Places to Work in 2020. We look at the big picture, focusing on how people will interact with the space-and we know it's never about us.We also believe great design doesn't have to come at the expense of a great culture.
We're forthcoming, forward-thinking, and not afraid to go against the grain to do the right thing. We're quick to respond and open to change. With deep expertise in a range of verticals – including distribution, cannabis, multifamily, senior living and retail/restaurants – we know that true success comes when we partner as an extension of your team. In everything we do, we embrace awesomeness.Founded in 1988 with offices in Kansas City, Austin and Denver, Dialectic Engineering is a nontraditional mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm that brings buildings to life. Relationships with our clients, partners and employee-owners are at the core of who we are, and we understand they're a two- way street.
One you actually enjoy working with.We excel at getting the job done right – and on time – by practicing the art of open and honest communication and delivering on the science of innovative engineering design. One who solves problems before they start. You deserve a different kind of MEP partner-one who takes the time to understand your vision and executes it with the highest quality.