The Public Perceptions of Higher Education

Maybe you read the same article I did in the Chronicle of Higher Education about public perceptions of higher education. The point that stuck with me was the analysis of the Gallup poll results, where the writer dives further into the preferences of the 46% of parents who opined that they do not intend to send their children to earn a bachelor's degree. As the author notes:

It’s also instructive to examine the preferences of the 46 percent of parents who don’t want to send their offspring to get a bachelor’s degree. Here’s what they want their children to do immediately after high school instead:

• 8 percent: Attend a two-year college
• 5 percent: Enter the military
• 5 percent: Another option that combines academic learning with on-the-job-training
• 4 percent: Attend training to learn a trade or vocation
• 4 percent: Attend training to learn a specialized technical skill
• 4 percent: Take time off to travel or pursue other interests
• 4 percent: Work at a paid job
• 4 percent: Other
• 2 percent: Attend an apprenticeship for on-the-job training
• 2 percent: Volunteer or serve on a mission
• 1 percent: Attend an internship to get work experience
• 1 percent: Start a business
• < 1 percent: Work in a family business

The author emphasizes the phrase immediately after high school and notes that if we rethink the response to the survey, some of the categories above really have to do with postponing and not ruling out a 4-year degree. Following this logic, the percentage of parents who want their children to consider earning a bachelor’s degree either immediately after high school or a bit later is around 60%.

What if we considered a slightly different interpretation—some of the options that parents chose for not opting for a 4-year degree as listed above include—combining academic learning with on-the-job-training, training to learn a trade or vocation, training to learn a specialized technical skill, attending an apprenticeship for on-the-job training, attending an internship to get work experience, starting a business, and working in a family business. These goals align well with university objectives for student success. Measures of student success for most universities include high retention, graduation, and career outcome rates. On-the-job training, training for a vocation, training to learn a specialized skill, apprenticeships, internships, start-ups, and more fit well with our learning goals. In short, many of the reasons listed above fit well with the program and even course learning goals. In fact, they are the reasons why students should choose to earn a 4-year degree.

At IU Indy, we have dedicated faculty and staff who have created or are working hard to create pathways that connect our curriculum to the goals that parents want for their children. Many of our programs connect curriculum to experiential learning opportunities, including the National Association of Colleges and Employers career competencies. Many of you are working on internships and co-ops for students in your programs. Some of you work with your staff to host career fairs to connect students to career opportunities and special vocations and also invite industry and community leaders to serve on your advisory board. In short, we are doing what parents want to do for their children.

At the same time, we can do more—we can make it simpler for students to connect what we teach to the skills they need in the workplace, whether that happens to be a business, a non-profit, a community organization, the statehouse, or graduate school. We can better articulate the connections to workplace competencies through our general education curriculum and in courses that follow. Higher education is about helping students think critically, communicate effectively, and become valued citizens who strengthen our democracy. Higher education is also about connecting these same skills to career opportunities. Critical thinking, effective communications, and career competencies are not mutually exclusive. When we can clearly articulate how the two overlap and coexist, some of the reasons from the survey listed above become reasons why parents should consider sending their children to earn a 4-year degree rather than reasons not to pursue the same. Reframing what we do in higher education in this way means that over 70% of parents will want to consider a 4-year degree for their children.

Am I on the right track? What do you think—I invite you to share your input.

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor