If a Lumina Foundation-Gallup poll is to be believed, then don’t let the negative headlines about postsecondary education’s waning relevance get you down.
Released last week, the poll, entitled America’s call for higher education redesign, showed not only do people still highly value postsecondary education, but they see it as a ticket to a better life. That’s the good news. Now, the challenge for the entire sector is how to clear the path for those individuals facing far different challenges than a generation ago.
At its core, the poll showed Americans link a postsecondary degree to more financial success and job security in their future. However, barriers exist to re-enrollment and degree attainment for many. And, in order to address those barriers, Americans are ready for a redesign of the entire system.
While these numbers originate south of the border, they do echo what we hear here every day.
Despite recent doom-saying, people feel what universities offer is valuable; 97 per cent said a degree beyond high school is somewhat or very important, and that same number tied it to future financial and employment security.
Understand, to get 97 per cent of Americans to agree on anything is quite spectacular. Heck, last time it was surveyed, 18 per cent of Americans believed the sun revolved around the Earth. So we’re talking an amazing number here.
Thirty-eight per cent believed postsecondary education is better today than at any other time, 96 per cent saw universities, and 90 per cent saw colleges, as offering high-quality education. Only 72 per cent saw online education as providing high-quality offerings. (Those numbers showed more separation when you look at those who ‘strongly agree’ these avenues provide high-quality education. Universities topped with 29 per cent, followed by colleges at 19 per cent and online institutions at 11 per cent.)
With that level of perceived value, it’s no wonder the poll uncovered interest in returning to school; 38 per cent of respondents without a university/college degree said they are likely to do so.
So, why aren’t they flooding in? Seems while the will may be high, the way is cluttered.
For instance, only 26 per cent saw postsecondary education as affordable. This comes as no surprise. We have discussed and debated this subject for years. It continues to draw the hottest rhetoric. But allow me to step back and look at a couple other areas drowned out by the tuition debate.
The poll asked adults in the workforce, without a university/college degree, to cite one – only one, mind you – barrier to re-enrollment in postsecondary education. Tuition cost was No. 2 at 28 per cent. Family responsibilities topped the list at 36 per cent, and job responsibilities came in at No. 3 at 15 per cent.
When was the last time you saw those debated in the headlines?
In addition, 87 per cent said they should be able to receive academic credit knowledge or skills acquired outside the classroom (e.g. co-ops) and 75 per cent said they should be evaluated – and , potentially, receive credit – for what they already know. Building off that, 70 per cent said course credit should be designed around content mastery, not time served in class. If it takes you nine weeks to master what others take 16 to do, then so be it.
The pressure for these changes is going to be applied evenly. Using tuition as an example, 59 per cent think postsecondary institutions should reduce tuition, 40 per cent think state and federal governments should provide more assistance and 46 per cent said companies should provide more assistance to expanding employees’ postsecondary opportunities.
These results show a promising world for those in postsecondary education. But it’s a far different one than we usually speak about.
If Ontario wants to expand its postsecondary ranks, there are only so many 17-year-olds. A lot of growth can come from the non-traditional sector, if we are willing to adapt. Look at the effort to accommodate teens coming to campus for the first time; imagine even a fraction of that going toward helping mature students achieve not just certificates, but full degrees at all levels.
That means having uncomfortable conversations – reevaluating prerequisites, changing traditional schedules, maybe even providing daycare. There’s a generation of administrators in both business and education who never had to deal with these issues, and that’s why we haven’t confronted them.
If you buy the numbers, and see this as a valuable group to target for growth, then they are handing you a roadmap. But if we want to welcome these folks in, then we need to help clear their path as well.