Critical issues facing higher education
What do you think is the most critical issue facing higher education (or your organization) in the near-term?
Troy, That is a huge issue right now in higher ed. Do you feel the government is being fair to all students?
Dr. Jean Norris
Dave
I would agree with your answer those regulations at the time of your posting changes a lot of policy that school currently had in place.
Troy
I would say that the for-profit school most critical issue is the gainful employment rule by the department of education. The schools can only do so much but its many factors that will determine whether a student receives employment.
Troy
I believe higher education is facing many critical issues. I agree with Professor Bowen that a big challenge is completion. Many students are not able to balance life challenges with school. Unfortunately, school is the first to go when they are battling childcare, transportation or financial struggles. Incorporating classes or workshops within the school to teach strategies of success may curtail some of the withdrawals.
Also, establishing good relationships with secondary education institutions will increase the awareness of career colleges and will give the students another avenue to pursue.
Jeffrey, That is an interesting point! What can you do to help remedy this issue?
Dr. Jean Norris
Hello All: From completing this module and through my interpretation of current events, I would say that failure to complete is the root cause of the problems in our industry. When students fail to complete, not only do they fail in achieving their educational goals (and the higher standard of living these represent) but they are also saddled with debt they most likely will not be able pay back. So to me failure to complete represents a "double jeopardy" for many students.
Steven, Thank you for sharing, and you are not alone in addressing these issues. What can you do to help address these issues?
Dr. Jean Norris
Quick Note: This was a good class – very descriptive and illuminating.
The critical issue facing my context involves leadership in curriculum design. Although we have outstanding people in our organization, we constantly face the need for improved design and implementation. I see it on a daily basis – a juggling act to provide quality education, handle staff desires/concerns, and forging marketable degree programs. This problem, perhaps not truly a problem since its part of higher education, forces us to constantly improve—yet has the feeling of being a “critical problemâ€.
Perhaps it’s just the nature of the beast. Nonetheless, that issue is present and demanding of efforts.
Also, my gut (from observation) tells me that we may need to look into and research faculty training. Not only does a lack of training affect the classroom context, it also influences faculty morale and our ability to progress as a school. Thus, I would apply the “critical†label there as well.
Which critical issue is more important? I don’t think it’s a matter of ranking—both are important in their contexts and both should be addressed. Also, I am sure other organizations see/feel this as well while the job market shifts beneath our feet…
Erin, Interesting points you bring up. What is something that you think can be done?
Dr. Jean Norris
One of the major issues facing career education is gainful employment. I agree that students need to have careers that will allow them to pay off their debt. The issue is that the schools are not meeting the requirements in a timely manner. If we have a program in which students are required to get a license in order to work in said field, and only eight of our graduates have successfully passed the exam, there is something wrong there. If the culture of get them in and get them a job does not change, then career colleges are a sinking ship.
Pamela, You make an excellent point. So despite all the change around us, what can we do specifically to help the students?
Dr. Jean Norris
The most critical issues facing higher education today are the ever-changing regulations of higher education.
The DOE/Federal Student Aid is once again taking a stab at more regulations for financial aid approved higher education institutions. They are stepping on the toes of state regulators as well and placing proposed demands on how state agency regulations should be addressing out-of-state institutions. Unfortunately, the state agencies aren’t equipped to handle the requirements of the DOE and ultimately state residents aren’t able to enroll in higher education programs and thus creating a short fall in completion rates which in turn affects our economy as Professor Bowen pointed out.
The success of our students is by far the most important factor of higher education, if our students aren’t succeeding, we aren’t doing our jobs.
John, Thank you for sharing. What can you do specifically, to help the students?
Dr. Jean Norris
That is an interesting point, David. What can you do specifically to change students minds?
Dr. Jean Norris
Certainly! What I see all the time are students who, instead of being prepared for college by high school, are academically ruined by it. Either they come to college with serious complexes regarding their abilities as a student, or they come expecting it to be handed to them without much in the way of effort.
One class requires huge amounts of extra help that only small colleges are capable of providing, and the other will likely in offended frustration before graduating because there was an expectation of hard work.
It's difficult to say what the most critical issue is but I would definitely have to say that one of the biggest issues is the idea of starting in the first place. Too many people do not feel that they have the opportunity to begin a college program so they settle for never attempting it.
John, You make some interesting points. The career colleges certainly are under scrutiny at the moment. I'm curious about your comment regarding entitlement and lack of educational training, will you expand?
Dr. Jean Norris
There are a number of factors here that come into play, so choosing the one that is the biggest issue would be challenging.
The regulatory climate is certainly hostile at the moment toward career colleges, and that stifles growth.
The state of public high school education produces graduates or GED candidates who are ill-prepared for any kind of schooling beyond that.
The biggest issue I believe we have in the higher education is the entitlement attitude and lack of educational training of our prospective students.
Lacei, Great point. As they say, knowledge is power! Where will you start with gaining more information?
Dr. Jean Norris
