Higher Education Plays Critical Role in Society: More Women Leaders Can Make a Difference.
| Author | Teague, Leah Jackson |
A Strong System of Higher Education is Essential to the United States' Role as a World Power
In the 21st century, institutions of higher education hold one of the most important roles in shaping the future of our society. As higher education continues to establish its value beyond the private benefits that inure to individual citizens, research indicates that a strong system of higher education is a significant contributor to the country's ability to compete in the global marketplace and is critical to our economic strength, social well-being, and position as a world leader.
College graduates enjoy higher standard of living
To individual students, post-secondary education creates a path to financial security, economic mobility, personal growth, professional development, leadership opportunities, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. As Alexis de Tocqueville pointed out in the 19th century, a benefit of living in a democracy is the advantage that higher education offers its citizens. Students are not restricted by class or guilds. In the United States, higher education is readily available regardless of the family to which one is born. New research shows that college students who have come from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with marginal abilities, benefit the most from their education. Hout (2012).
Opportunities for improving one's position in society are assisted, and sometimes greatly assisted, by a person's degree and alma mater. "College graduates find better jobs, earn more money, and suffer less unemployment than high school graduates do." (Hout, 2012, pg 380) "People with more education also had more desirable jobs." (Hout, 2012, pg 381). "They also live more stable family lives, enj oy better health, and live longer." (Hout, 2012, pg 380) According to Hout (2012), "college graduates are significantly more likely than high school graduates to say they are 'very happy.'"
For those who seek the benefits of a college degree, the investment is proven to be a wise one. "Evidence confirms that earning a college degree will pay back the cost of obtaining it several times over." (Hout 2012, pg 387) Over a work life of 40 years, a college degree can mean as much as an additional $1.1 million in earnings over a high school graduate. That difference applies only to white men. The difference is slightly less for Hispanic, Asian and Black men. Women earn substantially less than men at each level of education. The lifetime earning difference for female college graduates is only $636,000 more than high school graduates. The studies found that nontraditional students had a higher return on their college experience. (Houte 2012 pg 384-385).
Communities benefit from more informed and engage citizens
Higher education not only benefits the individual student, but also their communities. "Billions of dollars in public money are invested in institutions and individuals on the theory that society benefits from having an educated populace. A higher level of education within a community is less of a strain on the resources of a community. This basic relationship has been replicated hundreds of times by researchers (Mirowski & Ross 2003)."
Moretti (2004a, 2012) found that "high school graduates' wages increased where the proportion of college graduates in the labor market increased and that high school dropouts' wages increased even more in those places. One percentage point increase in the number of college graduates in a community raised high school dropouts' wages by 1.9%, high school graduates' wages by 1.6%, and college graduates' wages by 0.4%. Everyone gained from the educated workforce but the least educated gained the most (Moretti 2004).
More college graduates earning more money in their community means its citizens are living more stable family lives and enjoying better health (Houte 2012). College graduates commit fewer crimes (Houte 2012). "College graduates participate more fully in civic activities and politics (Verbs at al. 1995, Nie at al. 1996, Putnam 2000). "Education has consistently been found to increase political participation, electoral turnout, civic engagement, political knowledge, and democratic attitudes and opinions." (Hillygus 2005). In fact, the estimated social returns to education exceed private returns (Lange & Topel 2006). To that economic evidence, political sociologists add the observation that education also reduces prejudice and intolerance while increasing support for civil liberties. This subject of social return is also valuable, although no dollar sign is attached" (Hout 2012).
Higher education critical to United States ' position as world power
Research indicates a direct relationship between a country's world standing and its education system. A strong system of higher education is critical to its economic strength, social well-being, and position as a world leader. A nation's educational attainment--most importantly, the proportion of the workforce with secondary credentials--is a significant contributor to the country's ability to compete in the global marketplace" (Skaggs 2014).
The ability of the United States to protect itself and its interest around the world--our national security, broadly defined--is effected by our economic strength. Through economic sanctions and aid, and a wellfunded military power, we influence world behavior and deter undesirable actions. Many observers agree that American high culture also produces significant "soft power" for the United States. For example, Secretary of State Colin Powell said: "I can think of no more valuable asset to our country than the friendship of future world leaders who have been educated here." International students usually return home with a greater appreciation of American values and institutions. As expressed in a report by an international education group, "the millions of people who have studied in the United States over the years constitute a remarkable reserve of goodwill for our country."
Significant Challenges in Higher Education Call for Prepared Leaders
The challenges faced by today's higher education leaders unquestionably are numerous and difficult. As the number of students served by institutions of higher education grows and diversifies, a larger array of services, programming, and extra-curricular experiences must be provided. Modern-day institutions are subject to more regulation and scrutiny which also increase the cost of operation. The resources available to many of these institutions are never enough. With the precarious circumstances facing higher education within this high stakes economic environment, the leadership of these institutions is critically important as institutions must cope with a multitude of complex issues.
Number of students increase as governmental support decreases
IBIS Capital, a London-based investment bank, estimated the global market for education was $4.4 trillion in 2013 and is poised to grow at a rate of about 7.5% per year. Post-secondary education accounts for 34% of the global education market (Ibis Capital 2013). In 2011 the number of students enrolled in institutions of higher education in the United States was 20.99 million, up from 14.8 million in 2000 and almost double since 1980 when 11.57 million students were enrolled (National Center, 2012, Table 301.20). The number of institutions of higher education grew from 3,152 in 1980 to 4,706 in 2012. Between 1999 and 2011, the number of faculty and staff grew from 2.88 million to 3.72 million (National Center, 2011, Table 256).
Although the number of students served by institutions of higher education grows, the resources available to many of these institutions in recent years has not increased and in most states is less than state support received prior to the recent recession. Support received from state and federal governments is responsible for a substantial part of funding for higher education but it is administered in different forms. Two percent ($3.5 trillion) of the United States federal budget is spent on higher education, mainly for financial assistance (such as Pell Grants) to individual students and specific research projects. Higher education is the third largest category in state budgets, primarily funding general operations of public institutions. (PEW 2015). Overall appropriations for higher education are still less than they were before the recession, and well below in many states (Kelderman 2014). In 2014 only Alaska and North Dakota were spending more on higher education (after adjustment for inflation) than before the recession (Johnson 2014). Even as states have started to restore some funding for public colleges and universities as the economy recovers, after adjustment for inflation, "state spending on higher education nationwide is down $2,026 per student, or 23 percent" (Mitchell, M., Palacios, V. & Leachman, M. 2014). Since state funding to public colleges and universities amounts to 53% of their revenue, reduced state support generally forces schools to raise tuition, cut services to students, or both. (Johnson 2014).
Reduced resources cause tuition increases and cuts to programs and services
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Mitchell, M., Palacios, V. & Leachman, M. 2014) reported that tuition nationwide rose 28% from school years 2007-2008 to 2013-2014. Steep tuition increases have occurred across the nation. The average tuition at public four-year institutions, adjusted for inflation, increased "more than 60 percent in six states; more than 40 percent in ten states; and more than 20 percent in 29 states." The state with the greatest tuition increase is Arizona, where the tuition has risen 80.6 percent or $4,493 per student after inflation since the recession (Mitchell, M., Palacios, V. & Leachman, M. 2014). As college affordability decreases, more students are forced to take on more educational debt. "Over the last 20 years, the price of attending a four-year...
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