Add as a preferred source on Google

Renovating Higher Education

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 06/01/14

The cover story this month is about renovating, repurposing and rebuilding to keep up with ever-changing facility needs. A look at the bigger pictures tells us that it is not just our facilities that are in need of renovation. It is the entire higher education system.

Over the past decade a number of factors — economics, politics, demographics, globalization, competition, technological advances and a new breed of student — have forced us to take a serious look at the current structure of higher education. Along with the rising cost of an education and high unemployment/underemployment rates of current graduates comes more scrutiny about “gainful employment” and the value of higher education. The goal for many is no longer an ivy-league education, but instead access to online coursework, community college programs and even the training programs of large corporations. Higher education as we knew it no longer fills the needs of today’s tech-savvy student body; students that depend on alternative ways to find information and communicate. Following are some initiatives that are renovating, repurposing and rebuilding our current higher education system.

MOOCs — While MOOCs (massive open online courses) may not be the answer, or even a substitute, there is no question that they are revolutionizing higher education worldwide and starting the conversations that must be had. A low-cost/no-cost alternative, they provide access to many students that would otherwise be underserved or go unserved due to cost.

Flexible Options — The University of Wisconsin’s Flexible Option program is a portfolio of self-paced, competency-based degree and certificate offerings designed to meet the needs of adult students with some college and no degree. Progress toward a degree is based on assessments of key competencies determined by UW faculty, not seat time in a classroom or traditional online instruction. The program is personalized, self-paced and affordable.

Community College Degrees — Traditionally offering two-year and shorter-term technical degrees, 21 states now allow community colleges to also confer bachelor’s degrees. High-demand majors such as teaching and nursing, as well as limited access to four-year universities in rural areas, has driven this movement. A growing number of community colleges are looking to drop “community” from their name in order to upgrade their image and become more relevant in the eyes of prospective students and future employers.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

  • Construction Begins on East Austin CTE-Focused High School

    The Del Valle Independent School District recently announced that construction has begun on a new CTE-focused high school in Austin, Texas, according to a news release. Del Valle High School will measure in at 473,338 square feet and have the capacity for 2,400 students.

Digital Edition