Higher education is facing a pivotal moment.
RealClearEducation recently published an op-ed by Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) Vice President for Future of Work Laura Demarse that outlines how colleges and universities can better prepare students for the workforce, spur economic expansion — and ensure their own financial survival.
“Not every person needs a college degree to earn a substantial paycheck or to thrive in a career that gives them meaning,” says Demarse. “Postsecondary institutions should aim to serve Americans who choose a non-degree path. Indeed, in an economy where both degreed and non-degreed workers will need to continually refine their skillsets to adapt to change, college and university leaders and educators who expand the population they serve will thrive.”
Several institutions, including Arizona State University (ASU), Marshall University, and Georgia Tech, already have embraced this mission. ASU has several years of change under its belt and enrollment is booming.
A principle of openness animates these schools.
“Sadly, too many colleges and universities have responded to [a] shifting landscape by promoting exclusivity as the marker of success for themselves and their graduates,” says Demarse. “That strategy may not affect a handful of institutions’ ability to survive, but in a rapidly changing economy it will doom most colleges and universities. Michael Crow has said ASU will be measured not by whom the institution excludes, but by whom it includes and how those learners succeed and contribute to their communities. In a new economy and in the face of significant demographic shifts, that mindset is the one college and university leaders should adopt.”
Read the full article. Learn more about CKF’s vision for the future of work.