What will higher education look like in 2050?
What
will
higher
education
look
like
in
2050
?
That was the question addressed Tuesday night by Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University.
That
was
the
question
addressed
Tuesday
night
by
Michael
Crow
,
president
of
Arizona
State
University
.
"We're at the end of the fourth wave of change in higher education," Crow began, arguing that research universities followed the initial establishment of higher education, public colleges, and land-grant schools in the timeline of America.
``
We
're
at
the
end
of
the
fourth
wave
of
change
in
higher
education
,
''
Crow
began
,
arguing
that
research
universities
followed
the
initial
establishment
of
higher
education
,
public
colleges
,
and
land-grant
schools
in
the
timeline
of
America
.
In less than a half-century, he said, global market competition will be at its fastest rates of change ever, with several multitrillion-dollar economies worldwide.
In
less
than
a
half-century
,
he
said
,
global
market
competition
will
be
at
its
fastest
rates
of
change
ever
,
with
several
multitrillion-dollar
economies
worldwide
.
According to a recent projection, the nation's population could reach 435 million, with a large percentage of those residents economically disadvantaged.
According
to
a
recent
projection
,
the
nation
's
population
could
reach
435
million
,
with
a
large
percentage
of
those
residents
economically
disadvantaged
.
In addition, climate change will be "meaningfully uncontrollable" in many parts of the world.
In
addition
,
climate
change
will
be
``
meaningfully
uncontrollable
''
in
many
parts
of
the
world
.
The everyday trends seen today, such as declining performance of students at all levels, particularly in math and science, and declining wages and employment among the less educated, will only continue, Crow maintained, and are, to say the least, not contributing to fulfilling the dream of climbing the social ladder mobility, quality of life, sustainable environment, and longer life spans that most Americans share.
The
everyday
trends
seen
today
,
such
as
declining
performance
of
students
at
all
levels
,
particularly
in
math
and
science
,
and
declining
wages
and
employment
among
the
less
educated
,
will
only
continue
,
Crow
maintained
,
and
are
,
to
say
the
least
,
not
contributing
to
fulfilling
the
dream
of
climbing
the
social
ladder
mobility
,
quality
of
life
,
sustainable
environment
,
and
longer
life
spans
that
most
Americans
share
.
"How is it that we can have these great research universities and have negative-trending outcomes?"
``
How
is
it
that
we
can
have
these
great
research
universities
and
have
negative-trending
outcomes
?
''
Crow said in a talk "I hold the universities accountable.
Crow
said
in
a
talk
``
I
hold
the
universities
accountable
.
... We are part of the problem."
...
We
are
part
of
the
problem
.
''
Among the "things that we do that make the things that we teach less learnable," Crow said, are the strict separation of disciplines, academic rigidity, and conservatism, the desire of universities to imitate schools at the top of the social ranks, and the lack of the computer system ability that would allow a large number of students to be educated for a small amount of money.
Among
the
``
things
that
we
do
that
make
the
things
that
we
teach
less
learnable
,
''
Crow
said
,
are
the
strict
separation
of
disciplines
,
academic
rigidity
,
and
conservatism
,
the
desire
of
universities
to
imitate
schools
at
the
top
of
the
social
ranks
,
and
the
lack
of
the
computer
system
ability
that
would
allow
a
large
number
of
students
to
be
educated
for
a
small
amount
of
money
.
Since 2002, when Crow started being in charge at Arizona State--which he calls the "new American university"--he has led more than three dozen initiatives that aim to make the school "inclusive, scalable, fast, adaptive, challenge-focused, and willing to take risks."
Since
2002
,
when
Crow
started
being
in
charge
at
Arizona
State
--
which
he
calls
the
``
new
American
university
''
--
he
has
led
more
than
three
dozen
initiatives
that
aim
to
make
the
school
``
inclusive
,
scalable
,
fast
,
adaptive
,
challenge-focused
,
and
willing
to
take
risks
.
''
Among those initiatives were a restructuring of the engineering and life sciences schools to create more linkages between disciplines; the launch of the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of Sustainability; the start of a Teachers College to address K-12 performance and increase the status of the Education Department at the university; and broadened access, increasing the freshman class size by 42 percent and the enrollment of students living below the poverty line by 500 percent.
Among
those
initiatives
were
a
restructuring
of
the
engineering
and
life
sciences
schools
to
create
more
linkages
between
disciplines
;
the
launch
of
the
School
of
Earth
and
Space
Exploration
and
the
School
of
Sustainability
;
the
start
of
a
Teachers
College
to
address
K-12
performance
and
increase
the
status
of
the
Education
Department
at
the
university
;
and
broadened
access
,
increasing
the
freshman
class
size
by
42
percent
and
the
enrollment
of
students
living
below
the
poverty
line
by
500
percent
.
Universities must start, Crow noted, "by becoming self-reflective architects figuring out what we have and what we actually need instead of what legend tells us we have to be."
Universities
must
start
,
Crow
noted
,
``
by
becoming
self-reflective
architects
figuring
out
what
we
have
and
what
we
actually
need
instead
of
what
legend
tells
us
we
have
to
be
.
''
Research universities today have "run their course," he added.
Research
universities
today
have
``
run
their
course
,
''
he
added
.
"Now is the time for variety."
``
Now
is
the
time
for
variety
.
''
During a discussion afterward, Crow clarified and expanded on some of his points.
During
a
discussion
afterward
,
Crow
clarified
and
expanded
on
some
of
his
points
.
He discussed, for example, the school's distance-learning program.
He
discussed
,
for
example
,
the
school
's
distance-learning
program
.
"Nearly 40 percent of undergraduates are taking at least one course online," he said, which helps the school to keep costs down while advancing interactive learning technologies.
``
Nearly
40
percent
of
undergraduates
are
taking
at
least
one
course
online
,
''
he
said
,
which
helps
the
school
to
keep
costs
down
while
advancing
interactive
learning
technologies
.
He said that Arizona State is working to increase the transfer and completion rates of community-college students, of whom only about 15 percent, historically, complete their later degrees.
He
said
that
Arizona
State
is
working
to
increase
the
transfer
and
completion
rates
of
community-college
students
,
of
whom
only
about
15
percent
,
historically
,
complete
their
later
degrees
.
"We've built a system that will allow them to track into universities," particularly where "culturally complex barriers" beyond finances limit even the most gifted students.
``
We
've
built
a
system
that
will
allow
them
to
track
into
universities
,
''
particularly
where
``
culturally
complex
barriers
''
beyond
finances
limit
even
the
most
gifted
students
.
What will higher education look like in 2050? That was the question addressed Tuesday night by Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University.  "We're at the end of the fourth wave of change in higher education," Crow began, arguing that research universities followed the initial establishment of higher education, public colleges, and land-grant schools in the timeline of America.  In less than a half-century, he said, global market competition will be at its fastest rates of change ever, with several multitrillion-dollar economies worldwide. According to a recent projection, the nation's population could reach 435 million, with a large percentage of those residents economically disadvantaged. In addition, climate change will be "meaningfully uncontrollable" in many parts of the world.  The everyday trends seen today, such as declining performance of students at all levels, particularly in math and science, and declining wages and employment among the less educated, will only continue, Crow maintained, and are, to say the least, not contributing to fulfilling the dream of climbing the social ladder mobility, quality of life, sustainable environment, and longer life spans that most Americans share.  "How is it that we can have these great research universities and have negative-trending outcomes?" Crow said in a talk "I hold the universities accountable. ... We are part of the problem."  Among the "things that we do that make the things that we teach less learnable," Crow said, are the strict separation of disciplines, academic rigidity, and conservatism, the desire of universities to imitate schools at the top of the social ranks, and the lack of the computer system ability that would allow a large number of students to be educated for a small amount of money.  Since 2002, when Crow started being in charge at Arizona State--which he calls the "new American university"--he has led more than three dozen initiatives that aim to make the school "inclusive, scalable, fast, adaptive, challenge-focused, and willing to take risks."  Among those initiatives were a restructuring of the engineering and life sciences schools to create more linkages between disciplines; the launch of the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of Sustainability; the start of a Teachers College to address K-12 performance and increase the status of the Education Department at the university; and broadened access, increasing the freshman class size by 42 percent and the enrollment of students living below the poverty line by 500 percent.  Universities must start, Crow noted, "by becoming self-reflective architects figuring out what we have and what we actually need instead of what legend tells us we have to be." Research universities today have "run their course," he added. "Now is the time for variety."  During a discussion afterward, Crow clarified and expanded on some of his points. He discussed, for example, the school's distance-learning program. "Nearly 40 percent of undergraduates are taking at least one course online," he said, which helps the school to keep costs down while advancing interactive learning technologies.  He said that Arizona State is working to increase the transfer and completion rates of community-college students, of whom only about 15 percent, historically, complete their later degrees. "We've built a system that will allow them to track into universities," particularly where "culturally complex barriers" beyond finances limit even the most gifted students.