Responses

Vera Discussion:

Hello all, 

            In the debate of who benefits most from higher education, the answer, of course, is both. Society as a whole is made up of individuals for whom education is the mechanism of change and innovation. Without education, there would not be civilization, invention, and law. We have evolved to the point many jobs require some level of higher education and would our country be seriously hampered if this training and preparation of the workforce was no longer available (Goldstein, 2018). One very telling statistic from a recent Forbes magazine article, “In terms of civic participation, 80.7% of college graduates reported voting in the last presidential election compared to 56.5% of high school graduates and only 34.7% of individuals with less than a college education” (Nietzel, 2019 pg. 1, para. 12).  Our nation, and ultimately our world is a product of our cumulative knowledge acquired primarily through using and educating our minds.

            The burden and cost of higher education should be shared. Whether through taxes, assessment, or other public means, this should then be cumulative with individual student contributions. Education should not be completely free, as to ensure a level of ownership and involvement, but neither should it be out of the reach of any American child (Tucker, 2020). The greater problem in the current state of education is the debt ratio that students now incur while completing their college degrees. The average living wage for most of those graduates is nowhere near enough to repay the financial aid they have received. Making college affordable is paramount to maintaining access for the next generation (US Department of Education, 2018).

            A significant tension between Federal and State governments comes in the amount of legislation, regulations, and quality statistics required from public and private institutions (Spelling, 2006). Many times these new regulations are confusing, require funding to meet mandates, and are difficult to operationalize. Even the most well-intentioned federal laws can seriously hamper the efforts of state governments to educate students by stripping academic funding and reappropriating it towards efforts at compliance with Federal requirements (Olson, 2017). Along with these hardships comes the current political mood that desires to ensure colleges and universities are producing quality metrics and meeting accreditation goals. While arguably transparency is important, it is another unfunded task put on the backs of weary college administrators. There is much work to be done to mitigate and rework higher education into a more efficient, technological and innovative model that addresses student debt, federal regulations, and the political landscape today. 

 

Hope everyone is safe and well,

Vera

 

Goldstein, S. (2018, June 5). Nine out of 10 new jobs are going to those with a college degree.

            Retrieved from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nine-out-of-10-new-jobs-are-going-  to-those-with-a-college-degree-2018-06-04

Nietzel, M. T. (2019, June 18). New Evidence For The Broad Benefits Of Higher Education.

            Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2019/06/17/new-evidence-   for-the-broad-benefits-of-higher-education/

Olson, M. (2017). EFFECTS OF FEDERAL EDUCATION MANDATES ... Retrieved from

            https://www.unomaha.edu/college-oeducation/moec/_files/FinalResearchBrief_Olson.pdf

Spellings, M. (2006, August 31). A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher

            Education. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED493504

Tucker, M. (2019, March 19). Groundbreaking Maryland Education Reform Bill Passes in Midst

            of Coronavirus Crisis. Retrieved from http://ncee.org/2019/09/free-higher-education/

US Department of Education. (n.d.). College Affordability and Completion: Ensuring a Pathway

            to Opportunity. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/college

Emily Discussion:

 

Education is a human right. Every student in the United States deserves to have access to a free and appropriate public education. Schools are essential to the natural routine of modern day life. They provide more than just an education for a lot of students. They are where students learn their passions, grow in social interactions and knowledge for future endeavors and goals. Over the decades, education has shifted from being a public good (stimulating the economy and producing individuals who would go back into the marketplace), to a private one; individuals only care about themselves and hoarding individual wealth. Education has always been run by finances, but the focus today seems to be more on how schools, colleges and universities will receive funding rather than providing students with a useful education that will benefit them (and society) later in life.

In my personal opinion, I believe that higher education has turned into a private good. So many students who wish to attend college are unable to due to the increase in tuition prices. Institutions of higher education are forced to increase their tuition to fund the operation of the college, pay their employees and maintain updates, renovations and special projects that would help future students. However, because of the increased cost, so many students, especially students who come from a disadvantaged background cannot afford college. According to St. John, Daun-Barnett, and Moronski-Chapman (2018), the shift of higher education from being a public good to a private one has resulted in the increase in inequalities in preparation, access and success in collegiate settings (p. 8). In my personal opinion, I believe that these inequalities only continue to strengthen the perception that individuals who come from disadvantaged backgrounds cannot attend college and are therefore not worthy of living the American Dream. Each and every student who dreams of attending college should have the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education.

All of that being said, I am not completely convinced that a college education should be free. I know of the benefits and the institutionalized structure that not only marginalizes students, but also prevents certain students from gaining access; however, I am just not convinced that it would be financially sound. I believe that the current funding system needs to be restructured beginning at the elementary level. St. John et. al. (2018) state that the standardized tests and curriculum that the American Education System does not set our students up for success, and I agree with them (p. 10). Funding is a huge component of higher education and forcing schools to teach to a test does not serve the students. Students are not learning material that would allow them to attend college or thrive in the workplace (St. John, et. al, 2018, p. 10-11). Therefore, I believe that the political philosophy and ideology that surrounds higher education, particularly funding, need to be revamped. If we continue with the neoliberal idea of individual success over social good, then the inequalities of access, preparation and success of underprivileged and marginalized students will continue to rise, as well as increases in student debt and tuition prices. We need to find a way to meet the needs of the students while also teaching the importance of perseverance, determination and self-importance.

Hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy during these times, and I am looking forward to engaging with everyone over the next ten weeks!

References

St. John, E. P., Daun-Barnett, N., & Moronski-Chapman, K. M. (2018). Public policy and higher education: Reframing strategies for preparation, access and college success (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.