Drive-thru college admissions isn't healthy. College should be a transformational process, not a fast food order.
- Earning a college degree is meant to be a transformative experience, not a consumer transaction.
- Flawed rankings and narrowly focused courses of study contribute to this notion of college as a retail good.
- The disruption of traditional college admissions due to the pandemic presents a special opportunity for fresh thinking about the benefits of higher education.
- S. Georgia Nugent is the president of Illinois Wesleyan University.
- This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many aspects of higher education this year, including admissions. With college fairs, campus visits, and personal counselling cancelled by COVID, it's no surprise that curbside college has arrived. On some campuses, prospective students can now drive up, hand over their college application, and receive a decision (and possibly thousands of dollars in financial aid) in the time it takes to get a burger and fries.
The drive-thru college acceptance idea may seem like an antidote to the equally extreme admissions madness of recent years that has placed absurdly high pressure on students to get into 'THE right school'. Instead of an all-consuming decision that requires lots of resources and months of research and preparation, drive-thru admissions completely minimizes the decision-making process.
But neither of these extreme approaches to college admission is healthy. There is not just one perfect school for a student, yet making a thoughtful college decision matters. And it requires more than a curbside pick-up. At least three factors contribute to a tendency to view college education as a consumer good, but in each case the reasoning is flawed. College shouldn't be seen as a consumer good, but as a transformative process.
A degree is worth having
Economic research repeatedly confirms that college graduates, on average, earn $1 million more over a lifetime than those without a degree. And, even in a recession, the unemployment rate for college graduates is less than half that of non-graduates. College completion offers a measure of security in uncertain times. Since the financial anxieties of the 2008 recession may pale in comparison to the economic upheaval likely to result from the coronavirus pandemic, it's no wonder higher education is seen as a desirable good.
But higher learning, like any learning, isn't a product that's handed over; it's a process the learner undertakes. Students don't just pay and receive a diploma. Rather, they engage in coursework and research, build relationships with peers and professors, and participate in the life of a campus community that builds their skills in citizenship and leadership. Students actively grow and work to earn the diploma. Successfully completing a college degree is not a transaction; it's a transformative experience, imbued with value beyond the receipt of a credential.
- Read more: Google just changed the higher education game. Colleges and universities should be paying attention.
Most college students are just trying to get a job
The proven financial payoff of a college degree has narrowed students' and families' expectations of higher education. In contrast to past expectations of expanding general knowledge or deepening personal interests, by far the majority of today's students are coming to college to get a job. The data are clear from surveys of incoming students and graduating seniors, as well as from enrollment patterns across the nation: Career preparation is what's expected from colleges and universities. Pre-professional undergraduate programs, particularly in healthcare and business-related fields have captured the attention of incoming college students.
It may seem logical that specific training for a career will be the most efficient path to post-graduation success. But, in fact, there is evidence that graduates of narrowly-focused, pre-professional programs are less successful (both in terms of income and advancement opportunities) by mid-career than those who studied a broader, liberal arts-based curriculum. Exposure to more fields of study in college increases graduates' ability to navigate successfully in changing environments.
The trouble with rankings
A significant contributor to the perception of a college degree as a consumer good to purchase off the shelf (or pick up in the drive-thru) has surely been the rankings. In 1983, U.S. News & World Report began publishing "America's Best Colleges," which has since been widely read as a gauge of college quality. Though the publication is anxiously awaited each year, over time the ranking has remained remarkably consistent. That's because despite the several metrics the rankings use, what they most effectively measure is an institution's wealth, not its quality.
In today's environment, ranking based on financial resources or historic reputation may be particularly irrelevant as these metrics provide little insight into what the experience will be like for students and their families who are preparing to make considerable investments of time and money. What students most need to know - details about academic supports, the value placed on teaching and mentorship, or opportunities for internships or study abroad experiences - appears nowhere in these rankings.
The disruption of traditional college admissions is unsettling for students, families, and colleges. But it can also present a special opportunity for fresh thinking - to avoid both undesirable extremes of fixating on "the perfect school" or reducing college to a to-go employment credential.
In this uncertain time, it may be easier for prospective students, families, and colleges to recognize that what matters most is how attentive, creative, and flexible an institution is in building relationships with and meeting the changing needs of students.
S. Georgia Nugent currently serves as the 20th president of Illinois Wesleyan University and Senior Fellow at the Council of Independent Colleges. She is president emerita of Kenyon College and also served as interim president of the College of Wooster. Her scholarly field is Greek and Latin literature.
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