Issues in Higher Education - Who Will Study It - Report Example

Issues in Higher Education - Who Will Study it? The future of higher education is certainly in flux at the moment. As we move into an increasingly competitive and global age, degrees in higher education certainly provide individuals with more options, but at an ever growing cost both financially and socially. As young adults determine the course of their future, issues facing higher education today preclude many of them from deciding to pursue an advanced degree. These trends facing education, and society in general, are important to dissect and analyze moving forward in an effort to plausibly determine just who will choose to learn at institutions of higher education in the future. Issues in Higher Education - Who Will Study it? Introduction Times certainly have changed, particularly when considered the social institution of higher education. In decades gone by, higher education was for the elite. It was unlikely for individuals from any other social class outside of the higher echelons of society to either be able to afford or attend institutions of higher learning. In addition, one had to physically move to the location of their school of choice, or work hard to be admitted to a school that was not only accessible, but affordable. As time wore on, and institutions of higher learning became more accessible to the masses, growth was exponential. This system has resulted in one of the greatest social institutions present in modern society (Abro & Benneworth, 2007). The system of higher education in the United States is marveled at by much of the rest of the world in terms of it research power, ability to support critical and creative thinking skills, and its function of moving society progressively forward to a more sustainable future. Over time, however, issues have arose in higher education that have resulted in numerous changes over the years, leading many to wonder who will be left to truly support the great institutions of higher education that have made a name for themselves in year gone by. The reality today, however, is that the professional workplace is looking for individuals that possess more than just academic knowledge. While the higher education degree is still to be highly valued, today’s university and vocational colleges are needing to retrain their curriculum to provide more practical and hands-on experience to its students. In addition, to attract more students, online education is becoming increasingly popular, but has been met with some skepticism on the part of employers (Cohen & Kisker, 2010). All of these issues, and more, combine to make us wonder who will continue to pursue a higher education in the future. This is the purpose and foundation of this report. Background Information American society used to be structured such that a career minded individual completed high school and immediately went on to pursue a degree in higher education. While many would stop at the Bachelor’s level, still others would continue on to receive a Master’s of Doctorate. In reality, the number of individuals earning the latter is particularly small, comprising less than 2% of the population, making it an elite degree that carries with it recognition and prestige (Dew, 2009). Some occupations required, and continue to require, a degree in higher education, creating a sizable divide in society where income was largely dependent on one’s level of educational attainment. Recent years have a seen a decreased emphasis on the necessity of higher education, as politics and sheer economics has taken over. The cost of attending a university or vocational school has sky rocketed to the point that many individuals can no longer afford to take four our more years of their life to complete a degree. The necessities of life have taken over, resulting in a need for institutions of higher education to retool their thinking and look for ways to engage an increasingly mobile and inter-connected society. Older adults are now looking to return to school after a long absence, and many more are looking for ways to pursue an advanced degree while still maintaining full time employment and a family (Heyman, 2010). The resulting effect has lead many to question what the future of higher education will look like and who, in the end, will study it. The Future of Higher Education Many of the trends and issues in higher education today revolve around technology and innovation. Those who will study it in the future are those that can be touched by such innovation and have its relevance clearly demonstrated in their lives. In additions, institutions of higher education that are unwilling to adapt to the changing times will almost certainly find themselves at a competitive disadvantage, given the increasingly competitive nature of the business (Fain, 2012). This is particularly true in light of the increasing online and private for-profit institutions that are competing with more traditional public and private universities for students. Relevancy is the key. Higher education must become more relevant in the lives of today professional adult, as the days are gone whereby a simple degree is seen as the ticket to a more prosperous life in all sectors of society. To be clear, a degree in higher education remains one of the most valuable commodities on the market today, but simple academic knowledge in one discipline simply does no always cut it any longer. As such, one of the trends in higher education is to move away from a single disciplinary track towards a more multidisciplinary model and environment. Students today want and require cross-disciplinary learning in their efforts to make themselves more marketable in their current and future professions. The world is changing away from the single job, single profession for life model of previous generations. Young people today realize the importance of being well-rounded (Park & Choi, 2009). Many traditional forms of higher education do not offer this innovative approach to curriculum, so those who choose to pursue a higher education in the future may look to other avenues to satisfy this important objective. Another trend and issue currently facing higher education involves the advance of online learning capabilities. When online learning first was introduced to broader academia, many traditional institutions shunned the technology, making the plausible claim that computer based learning is no substitute for the personal interaction that online learning affords. Over the years, however, it has become apparent that online learning affords many members of society the opportunity to pursue higher education than was previously possible. In reality, the explosive growth of the online industry has begun to slow in recent years as traditional based institutions have integrated more distance learning options into their mix. The issue currently involves striking a strategic balance between the two modes of instructional delivery in order to reach the maximum number of students. As a whole, enrollment at various institutions of higher education is on the decrease as this balance has not yet been met. The individuals that will study higher education in the future are looking for schools that can accommodate their increasingly busy and mobile lifestyle. Online education is a plausible solution to this objective, particularly as curriculum advances and the same quality of education is offered via distance learning as it is in the traditional, ground based, classroom. The increasing number of options available to adults today, both in the classroom and out of, require that institutions of higher learning also develop more sound and prudent ways of recruiting and attracting students to study. In contrast to previous generations, students today desire a more complete life experience at university (Angulo & Mayer). While academics are certainly important, many students today want so much more out of the experience. As a result of this issue, the students who will choose to spend a considerable amount of time at such institutions in the future will be looking for schools that focus on provide a complete experience that truly focuses on the body and the mind. Another issue facing higher education is the need to continually invest in technology, lest they be left behind. As many students of higher education today desire to be constantly connected via technology, universities and colleges must upgrade their offerings in order to attract students to their institution in such a way that makes wise use of modern innovations, while still focusing on providing the best of academic environments. All of this must be done within a budgetary climate that is tight and forces fiscal responsibility. This renewed emphasis on technology is placing a stress on existing IT infrastructure, which will need to be a major focus of many institutions moving forward (ascd, 2014). All of the aforementioned issues boil down to a final troubling indicator moving forward, and that relates to finding new ways of funding higher education. Students today are struggling to not only afford, but to justify, the rising costs associated with pursuing a degree in higher education. Given this reality, that question of who will study at such institutions in the future becomes even more pervasive and important to answer. One solution to this issue is for such institutions to explore alternative funding options in order to keep their costs low that are passed on to their students. Alternatively, universities will need to continue to explore options that enable qualified students to receive needed financial assistance that affords them the opportunity to continue their studies and earn an advanced degree. Save for this, the students that study at institutions of higher education in the future will be limited according to their ability to actually afford it, which will cheapen the pool of available students whose knowledge can truly be used to progress society towards an even more prosperous future. Conclusion The system of higher education in the United States is marveled at by much of the rest of the world in terms of it research power, ability to support critical and creative thinking skills, and its function of moving society progressively forward to a more sustainable future. Over time, however, issues have arose in higher education that have resulted in numerous changes over the years, leading many to wonder who will be left to truly support the great institutions of higher education that have made a name for themselves in year gone by. The reality today, however, is that the professional workplace is looking for individuals that possess more than just academic knowledge. While the higher education degree is still to be highly valued, today’s university and vocational colleges are needing to retrain their curriculum to provide more practical and hands-on experience to its students. In addition, to attract more students, online education is becoming increasingly popular, but has been met with some skepticism on the part of employers. All of these issues, and more, combine to make us wonder who will continue to pursue a higher education in the future, which as reflected by the findings of this study, leave us in a precarious situation indeed. References Angulo, M. and Mayer, J. (n.d.) Online learning and no child left behind: The logical solution for supplemental educational services. Retrieved May 26, 2014 from http://www.e-tutor.com/ pdf.com/pdf/SES_online_learning.pdf Arbo, P. and Benneworth (2007). Understanding the regional contribution of higher education institutions: A literature review. OECD Papers, 7(7), 1-78. ascd.org. (2014). Educational leadership: NCLB: Taking stock, looking forward: The impact of NCLB. Retrieved May 26, 2014 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational- leadership/nov06/vol64/num03/the-impact-of-NCLB.aspx Attbach, P. G., Gumport, P. J., and Berdahl, R. O. (2011). American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Heyman, E. (2010). Overcoming student retention issues in higher education online programs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 13(4), 11. Coehn, A. M. and Kisker, C. B. (2010). The shaping of American higher education: Emergence and growth of the contemporary system (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey/Bass. Dew, J. (2009). Quality issues in higher education. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 32(1), 4. Fain, P. (2012). Performing under pressure. Inside Higher Education. Retrieved May 26, 2014 from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/22/better-measures-college-performance Park, J. H., and Choi, H. J. (2009). Factors influencing adult learners’ decision to dropout or persist in online learning. Educational Technology and Society, 12(4), 207-217. Read More