LAST WEEK
The first chapters of the NCS text were relatively short, but packed with information about change in the realm of higher education due to what the authors attribute to competition, the market, technology, & globalization. Much of what was discussed is not new to me (students competing for colleges, colleges competing for students, rankings, and the consumerism of education) but I'm interested to find out more about things I know little about (i.e. the role of the government - state and federal - at public institutions and college systems).
The Coye article definitely had me reminiscing of my undergraduate experience at Mount Holyoke College. First of all, can I say that this is my first introduction to Ernest Boyer (who passed away in 1995), who was the president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and seemed to be incredibly passionate about higher education.
Boyer envisioned a "New American College" that "celebrates teaching and selectively supports research, while also taking special pride in its capacity to connect thought to action, theory to practice" (p. 23). The priorities of this "New American College" are: 1) Clarifying curriculum (a liberal education with a major, electives, and general education) which includes what is taught and how courses are taught, 2) Connecting beyond the classroom to create "interactive regional colleges" where students are engaged with the needs of their region, and 3) Creating campus community to create a scholarly and moral community where students can actively explore their values. In order to create a "New American College" Boyer recommended: service learning, internships, and capstone courses.
In class, Dr. C separated us into small groups based on institution type. Four of us were in the "private liberal arts college" category, three were in the "community college" category, and everyone else was in the "large public university" category. We discussed our experiences based on Boyer's categories of curriculum, connection beyond the classroom, and campus community. When we shared with the class, we found that most of our experiences were related to connection beyond the classroom and community while much of our classmates' had more under the "curriculum" category. Many students at large public institutions found community through their majors or through extracurricular activities (i.e. sports). As a class, we also discussed how location played a role campus community as well. Whether you're a small liberal arts college or a large public institution, if you're in the middle of Iowa, you've probably got more going on in regards to campus life and college community than schools (small or large) in New York City.
THIS WEEK
I managed to get myself ahead of the game for this week and finished my readings for this class over the long weekend. Readings included Ch 3 of the NCS text and two articles, Fischetti et al's "University of Phoenix: Beat 'em or Join 'em" and Hiltz & Turoff's "Education Goes Digital: The Evolution of Online Learning and the Revolution in Higher Education."
I love talking about technology and higher education so I'll talk about text first and save my technology talk for last!
Chapter 3 "The Coming of the Market" made me realize how little I know about how public institutions function in relation to the federal government, state legislation, and within university systems (for example, the Hawaii system that includes 3 universities and 7 community colleges). I received my degree from a private college, I spent a semester in DC at a private college, worked at a private university, and took some post-bacc courses at a private college. Now I am at UH, working for a university system, in a graduate program, and am...well...ignorant with regards to government regulation of education. As multi-campus systems are moving towards autonomy (from each other and from the government), the authors call for state by state debate and analysis of the restructuring of higher education.
"University of Phoenix: Beat 'em or Join 'em" offers an excellent background about the history of the institution and how it came to grow, and how they manage quality control and accreditation. Personally, I don't want to see all of higher education head in this direction. I think college campuses are important environments in which to learn and grow...however, I do see how the University of Phoenix has its niche. Really, it's brilliant. John Sperling saw a need/opportunity and went after it. Business is booming. I also liked how the article highlights other online options - such as community colleges, Keck Graduate Institute, and Ottawa University. As of now each does seem to be filling different needs - for example, community college online programs are more cost-effective than the University of Phoenix, and Keck Graduate institute offers training in very, very specific fields.
The "Education Goes Digital" article speaks more towards "online learning" - what's out there, driving factors, and consequences. I think the most interesting points this article brings up are 1) the way technology has brought up questions about whether or not higher education is a "right" and 2) that technology is here to stay, technology changes, and campuses need to learn to accept and adapt to (and with) technological change.
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