Lumina Foundation’s Post

As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, the future of accreditation in the United States is poised for significant transformation. For small colleges, these changes are not just necessary but essential for survival and success in an increasingly competitive and dynamic environment. The current accreditation system often emphasizes inputs—such as faculty credentials, facilities, and financial resources—over actual educational outcomes. For small colleges, which might not have the same level of resources as larger institutions, this can be a significant hurdle. The future of accreditation should shift the focus towards outcomes, such as student success, employment rates, and community impact. This outcomes-based approach would allow small colleges to demonstrate their effectiveness in educating students and contributing to society, even if their resources are more modest. Finally, faculty's credentials should be based on experience and not just education degrees.

Higher education has a problem. Over the past several decades education, and especially higher education, has walked away from focusing its highly funded resources on serious issues facing society and our economy in a mature manner. Instead, higher education walked away from its central mission of seeking truth and embedding it in research/teaching’ Instead engaged in silly initiatives driven by the most vocal on campus. Instead of a serious pro and con discussion on the issues of culture and diversity, higher education largely invested in setting up offices to attack white males and focus on masculinity - undermining any real conversation and producing just the opposite of diversity and inclusion (but a new generation of alienation). Instead of focusing on the pro and con investigations into climate change and how we can practically move to new energy sources, higher education sold out to politically motivated bromides on climate change. The list goes on and on. The damage done is that fewer people trust higher education - an important institution that we desperately need to maturely, with integrity, address our social, technological, and economic problems we face. The fix - put serious people in charge of education institutions with real tools to reform the institutions.

We must restore the confidence and perceived value in higher education sooner rather than later.

Higher education faces challenges in the post-pandemic era, including the need to rebuild trust and adapt to changing workforce demands. Meeting educational goals will depend on state policies, but some states may face budgetary pressures. Campus leaders are under financial pressure and are expected to meet students' needs. The 2024 election cycle may raise questions about the relevance and value of higher education. This paper presents the top state policy priorities for 2024 based on a survey conducted by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. https://lnkd.in/eVtsm3Fm #studentsuccess #highereducationleadership #transferstudents

Change is happening in #HigherEd! From financial aid to fluctuating enrollment, there's a lot to catch up on. In this week's insights, our Higher Education Market Manager, Katie Clark, walks us through four critical trends impacting colleges and universities this academic year. #EducationTrends #HigherEducation #EducationInsights

With skepticism on the rise, public trust in the value of higher education has seen a steep decline. For higher education institutions to regain public trust and demonstrate their value, they should align their offerings with the demands of the labor market, leading to better outcomes for graduates and better ROI. Read more in our latest report about five trends for higher education to watch for this year. https://lnkd.in/gY5XEStN

Check out Matt Gandal's latest piece in Forbes on addressing the crisis of confidence in U.S. higher education! He outlines four key strategies for practitioners and policymakers to consider in reinstating public confidence in the value of postsecondary education: 🌟 Measure return on investment and provide that information to consumers 🌟 Recognize a broader range of higher education options beyond four-year degrees 🌟 Expand programs that offer a strong return on investment and proactively address those that don't 🌟 Reward and incentivize value in higher education https://lnkd.in/eJePN7x2 #HigherEd #HigherEdValue #EconomicMobility

Crisis of Confidence in Higher Education Trust in American higher education is dwindling, with only 36% of U.S. adults expressing high confidence in colleges and universities. Key challenges include perceived political agendas, a disconnect between educational offerings and job market needs, and rising education costs. But there's a silver lining: community colleges are gaining trust by aligning with workforce demands. In my first blog post, I explore how universities can rebuild trust by addressing these issues head-on through transparency and accountability and leveraging strengths like career development programming and student support services. 👉 Read more to discover how higher education can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #ROI #EducationReform

The American higher education system is more fragile than its counterparts in other countries in part because of the high proportion of small and private institutions. The way that the higher education landscape developed also plays a part in the precariousness of the higher education sector. #GreatCollegeAdvice #HigherEd

There is a crisis of confidence in higher ed that is both understandable AND concerning. Economists continue to assert that more of the population will need education and training beyond high school to fill key jobs; yet a recent survey from Gallup and Lumina Foundation shows that 32% of Americans report feeling “little or no confidence” in higher education. One important way to turn the tide of public opinion is for higher education to reposition itself as an institution that’s more focused on career outcomes for its students and on economic development within its communities. My latest column addresses what leaders and state policymakers can do to better prioritize, measure, and communicate value in higher education: https://lnkd.in/dahKNZiC