This is the third in a three-part series that explores how to build a new learning and employment ecosystem that enables America’s diversity of learners to experience economic and social mobility. See Part One and Part Two.
Earlier in this series, I’ve tried to illuminate what I believe are the foundational flaws in our higher education system and offer a new way of thinking that can lay the ground for a more effective and inclusive system.
Higher education is supposed to be a vehicle for enabling individuals to progress in their lives, but sadly, the system produces uneven outcomes. In Part One, I made the case that too many colleges aren’t aligned around what should be their primary purpose: enabling individuals to experience social and economic mobility. Instead, many have gotten lost in the business of education, with programs being designed as if they are an end in and of themselves rather than a means for achieving something greater. Good design starts with the desired outcome and works backward; can we expect anything but poor design if we’re not aligned on what we’re working to achieve?
As we think about redesign, it’s also important that we’re clear about prevailing assumptions and challenge those that don’t serve us well. In Part Two, I argued that two faulty mindsets underly our current system. A comparative mindset defines individuals’ talent and worth relative to another, based on the misguided belief that certain individuals are inherently more talented, capable, and deserving of opportunities than others. A scarcity mindset, on the other hand, assumes opportunity is limited, and causes us to believe that our inclusion only comes at the exclusion of another.
Both of these mindsets fuel higher ed’s tendency to categorize, segment, and ultimately exclude individuals, resulting in systemic inequities that are challenging to eliminate with superficial solutions. If we’re serious about building a system that democratizes opportunity, we need to let go of these harmful mindsets—and there’s never been a better time.
Amid our crisis of declining value and unmet needs, disruptive forces are compelling change. To ensure all will benefit from these changes, leaders in education, industry, and policy must work to build a system of equity with the ultimate goal of helping individuals access opportunities that will lead to a better life for themselves and for their communities. Doing so will require that we fundamentally reconsider the architecture of our current system—but that doesn’t mean we can’t take action now. Here are three meaningful steps leaders can take right away:
1.Colleges and universities: Innovate across dimensions of student experience, relevance, and cost
When higher ed leaders approach design with clarity that our purpose is to activate talent to opportunity, a few things become abundantly clear: 1) timely, relevant interventions are needed across the learning journey to increase the odds that every student graduates, 2) learning outcomes must be aligned with future of work for students to access high-quality opportunities, and 3) if the opportunities a credential unlocks are outweighed by its costs, graduates will struggle to progress.
Critically, innovating across these dimensions can serve to dramatically expand access to high-quality, affordable education, recognizing that students begin at varied starting points and with different needs. For instance, when colleges focus on improving the student experience, they’ll necessarily have to lean into providing appropriate supports, tools, and personalized interventions that meet students where they are.
Learn how Competency-Based Education, especially when paired with online learning, can help accomplish all of the above, from WGU Labs Director and learning experience design expert Jess Stokes.
2. Employers: Focus on skills, not pedigree
In addition to partnering with colleges and universities to design workforce-relevant programs and learning outcomes, business leaders can help democratize opportunity through skills-based hiring. Too often where an individual earns their credential (or whether they earned a credential) serves to legitimize or invalidate that individual’s potential to prospective employers. In reality, these labels reveal more about a learner’s ability to access education and persist than what they know and can do. What really matters is the demonstrated skills they’ve mastered, and whether those fit organizational needs.
But a focus on skills shouldn’t end with hiring; employers can help close skills gaps and help their people advance by being clear about which skills and abilities are needed to advance, and which educational pathways will take individuals where they want to go. Better yet, they can follow the lead of major employers like Amazon, Walmart, McDonald’s, and KFC, which are increasingly designing their own learning pathways through in-house educational programs or partnerships with education providers.
Discover three questions employers should ask to ensure they’re helping the individuals at their organization contribute their best work and advance in their lives.
3.Policymakers: Ensure accountability for delivering value
The crippling level of student debt in this country is the symptom of a larger problem: Our colleges are addicted to spending, and often on things that have little to no impact on students’ ability to access great jobs that can transform their lives.
Policymakers can provide direction for the industry by holding higher ed accountable to delivering real value to students in the form of improved completion rates, a strong return on investment, and critically, equity in access and attainment.
To that end, Congress has taken important steps including the introduction of a package of five bills aimed at establishing more accountability for colleges, protecting borrowers from unaffordable debt, and ensuring that consumers are better informed. The Administration has also proposed financial transparency and gainful employment regulations that would provide enhanced transparency on graduate earnings, tuition, and fee costs. While there are practical barriers to getting this right, we shouldn’t ignore the problem because the solution is hard.
Read my testimony to Congress, which cites specific policies to advance to hold institutions accountable for delivering value (skip to page 11).
As the leader of one of the country’s largest and most student-centered universities, I’m encouraged by the sense of urgency I see within the sector for reinventing a system that advances human progress and enriches individuals’ lives. As we endeavor to do so, it’s critical we don’t re-embed old biases that perpetuate societal imbalances. This is our chance to set things right from the start.
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