As those indicted in the college admissions scandal continue to come into court in Boston to enter their pleas, the story continues to be front page news. But for all of the headlines and talk on television and in social media, the BIG college news had actually been made one week before the United States Attorney spoke in Boston and continues to go largely unreported.
Though unreported, that story will have very real consequences for the college landscape going forward and, therefore, for parents and students preparing for college. The story was the statement by the president of the American Council on Education, Ted Mitchell, when he said higher education must recognize that it no longer is the sole arbiter of what the content of higher education will be.
To understand the deep meaning of this statement is to understand that colleges and what they teach will no longer be decided alone by college presidents and college faculties gathered behind the ivied walls of academe. Instead, going forward, others, outside the walls, will change what is taught and how it is taught. Think of online courses, certifications instead of degrees, students who study at various times while they pursue careers and a host of new possibilities. And think of the cost of earning a degree or certification, or both, going down even as the cost of books, rented or obtained in digital formats, also become more affordable.
The future of college like the future of work is full of excitement, accessibility and opportunity. But while its coming is inexorable it will not be without objection, false starts and the need for persistence on the part of all the players. For more of this and of coming changes in how we will pay for college, return for more blog posts here.
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