How Did U.S. Higher Ed Get Here? Alarm has been sounded but is anyone listening?

In his recent Forbes article, Brandon Busteed asks the question, “how did we get here?” How did American higher education, long the envy of the world, become so polarized and so polarizing? And was the well-reported decline in public confidence (including trust and perceived value) a causal factor, a coincidence, or a gateway for polarization? As always, Brandon’s writing is clear, concise, and gets to the important points. Always worth a read.

Brandon cites the dramatic decline in confidence in U.S. higher education, from 57% in 2015 to 36% in 2023, as noteworthy and alarming. While these and other such dramatic figures are of course tied to survey methodology, questions asked, framing and context, they nonetheless point consistently to a decline in public confidence in higher education.

What will be the impact, short and long term, on our nation’s talent pipeline? How will workforce be prepared with skills and knowledge for new jobs? What will be the impact on U.S. economic development? Brandon cautions this partisan divide on higher education would go down as one of the most damaging trends in U.S. history. A sobering thought.

I’ve written about both the politicization of U.S. higher education and the partisan divides taking shape on our campuses. And I have called for colleges and universities to reaffirm, promote, celebrate, and leverage their foundational commitment to being a 'public good' to becoming the 'public square' for civil discourse, dialogue, and debate. One way to restore public confidence in higher education, help our nation heal, and even bring an end to our nation’s crisis in democracy, is for colleges and universities to take a leading role in redefining middle ground, embracing civility, and fostering both scientific reasoning and civil discourse. Seems silly to have to suggest this, but there we are.

Of course, we must also continue to prepare graduates for successful lives and careers, to be enlightened and engaged global citizens, and to be contributing members of society. We must not be at the center of the “constant and contentious debate” Busteed calls the unchartered era we are entering. This will surely continue to erode public confidence, trust, and interest in our important work. ?

Brandon also connects this decline in confidence to U.S. competitiveness and the important work of the Council on Higher Education as a Strategic Asset (HESA), for which we both serve as strategic advisors. He points to lowering the cost of higher education, closing the divide between broadly educated and specifically skilled graduates (I’ve offered similar criticism and warning on the artificial dichotomy between STEM and the liberal arts), and the urgent need to build bipartisan support. The HESA commission also will consider university-industry partnerships, flexible degree pathways, new ways for institutions to partner and leverage resources, linking federal resources to outcomes, experiential learning, and much more. Undoubtedly, the work of the HESA commission will help to restore public confidence, trust, and perceived value. The commission’s recommendations will challenge our institutions to adapt, evolve, innovate, and partner to remain relevant and important, while making the case for greater investment in higher education as a strategic asset for the nation.

Busteed closes with a call to not only to find more common ground, but to look for higher ground. I couldn't agree more. The 'public square' will sit quite nicely there. ?

Links:

“Four (Big) Things We Hope To See from U.S. Higher Education in 2023 ”

“Pandemic, Partisanship, Political Pressures And Polarization: Higher Education’s Precarious Perch And A Scenario In Four Acts ”

“The Power of Partnerships and Pairings: Why STEM and Liberal Arts are Better Together ”

Council on Higher Education as a Strategic Asset (HESA)