The Commission on the Future of Higher Education…Is There Change on the Way?

As reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month, the Commission on the Future of Higher Education has completed its final meeting and issued its report, which calls for dramatic changes in the structure and focus of higher education throughout the United States.

The commission’s report notes that their focus for reform centers on four key areas: access, affordability, quality, and accountability and includes recommendations that are aimed at higher education institutions, accrediting agencies and governing boards, state and federal policy makers, the K-12 community, businesses, parents, and the students themselves.

Of noteworthy interest to educator marketers is the commission’s recommendations around academic preparation that calls for high schools to adopt curricula that prepare all students for higher education and also suggests that states and colleges develop " …early assessment exams to determine whether high school students are on track for college." Should these recommendations be implemented, there will be new opportunities for content developers, assessment providers, and others involved in developing and evaluating K-12 curricula with respect to academic preparation for college.

Comprised of both business and college leaders, the commission was created by Margaret Spellings, the U.S. Secretary of Education, and was charged with developing a long-term vision for higher education over the course of six meetings and public hearings across the country.

The overarching goals set out by the commission include:

 •  Creating a world-class higher education system that generates new knowledge, contributes to the nation’s economic health and global competitiveness, and empowers citizens;
 •  Delivering a lifelong system that is accessible to the country’s citizens;
 •  Improving efficiency and quality instruction to make opportunities more affordable for students, donors, and taxpayers;
 •  Providing students with the workplace skills they’ll need to adapt in an economic environment that changes quickly and constantly
 •  Adapting to changes created by technology, globalization, and changing demographics to encompass new providers and paradigms.

Following the release of the report, several higher education associations issued comments and some associations have urged the higher education community to develop a voluntary approach to assessment and accountability, a major focus of the document. The U.S. Department of Education has announced a series of public hearings beginning in September to explore how the commission’s recommendations might be implemented.

MDR will continue to update our customers on reform initiatives in higher education and will closely monitor funding shifts or other opportunities for our clients.

Our higher education database continues to lead the market and provides clients with multiple access opportunities for reaching college and university administrators and faculty.

To view market data online, go to www.schooldata.com or contact your MDR Representative for a copy of our most recent College Catalog.
 

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