Today we visited the Ohio Board of Regents. This is advisory board to the Chancellor with two ex-office representatives from the state legislature... One of their responsibilities is developing an individual review of the condition of Higher Education in Ohio. So they advise statewide on issues affecting Higher Education. In their task force on College Completion the Chancellor outlines some guide principles. Some of them are as well put as relevant for the situation in the Netherlands:
Solutions must be student-centered
So in a situation where funding and debts are of course of big concern, we should stay focused on the student to find answers on how to increase completion. As somerimes also in the Netherlands we start at the funding issues we should "start at the end" what is it that we want for our students?
We need to increase both access and succes & increased completion rates should not limit access.
So education should stay accessible for as many people as possible. As the American population is changing is it of the utmost importance to attract the "non-traditional" and adult students to fill the need of the workforce. Research estimates that in 2025 60% of the workforce will need to have a post secondary degree to meet the requirements of their work. In Ohio now the percentage is 38%. In the Netherlands we tend to focus on what entry levels a student starting Higher Education should have. We should try and not forget that accessibility to Higher Education needs more and more attention in our society aswell.
The quality of academic programs must not in any way be compromised
Of course the academic will have to meet the standards as required for Higher Education. But maybe more effort (and funding) will be necessary for remedial programs and other support for the "new" non-traditional students entering the Higher educational system:
One size does not fit all.
As in the Netherlands the educational system is changing aswell we must recognize that different programs have varying missions and varying student needs. We must not limit access any more then we are doing now, in stead of doing that... We should really get creative in the way we deliver education to the students that will not only be the traditional young fulltime student, but will more and more be a student in the Lifelong-Learning era.
So again. The different as the American and the Dutch system might be, we can both take serious note of these guide principles.
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