President Biden’s new infrastructure proposal includes an education element that would, essentially, provide free access to the first two years of undergraduate education for all Americans. It is a major educational innovation that responds the maturation of the Information Society, just as universal access to high school was a response to the maturation of the Industrial Revolution early in the 20th century. It also builds on several state-level initiatives, such as the recent New York State move to make free access to the first two years of college available to high school graduates in New York.
The move toward a national pre-K-to-14 public education has some broad implications for higher education and for American life. Looking at the pre-K part of the plan, for instance, there are benefits that go well beyond the obvious one of giving all children a better start to their education. It also means that many mothers will be able to rejoin the workforce and help provide financial security for young families.
That said, the potential changes for higher education raise some important strategic planning needs for higher education. Some thoughts:
*Assuming that free access to the first two years of college is limited to community colleges, one impact could be that both public and private four-year institutions lose enrollments in those first two years while the demand for community college enrollment expands significantly. Some four-year public institutions have regional campuses that they may want to transition to serve as community colleges. Other institutions may want to focus on upper-division majors and graduate programs, partnering with community colleges so that students can effectively migrate to a four-year program.
*At many universities, supporting introductory and general education courses is a job assigned to graduate assistants. If funding for K-14 is limited to community colleges, institutions with graduate programs may need to find new work for graduate assistants. This could mean putting more energy into serving adult learners, so that, while their relationship with students begins at the Junior year, they can maintain a relationship with them far beyond the undergraduate degree. Historically, institutions have talked about the three-legged stool that supports learning: instruction, research, and public service. The K-14 movement might open new doors for doctoral students to participate in research transfer and other forms of community engagement related to the research and dissemination function.
*The K-14 movement would mean a more seamless curricular sequence between high school and college. This raises obvious questions about the role of general education in the undergraduate curriculum and the relationship of undergraduate general education to the high school curriculum. The goal would be to minimize duplication in general education courses taught in both high school and college and, importantly, to ensure that there is a logical progression—curricular unity—in general education from high school through the first two years of college as students prepare for both adult citizenship and, ultimately, a profession.
* The move also raises other curricular questions. Should there be a “gap year” built into the educational experience? If so, should the gap be positioned (a) between high school and college? (b) between the first two years of college and the upper division of the undergraduate experience? (c) at the end of the undergraduate experience?
*What are the implications for colleges that want to attract adult learners and international students into associate and baccalaureate degrees?
The K-14 movement is very likely to continue regardless of how this one Bill fares in Congress. There is much to consider in terms of strategic planning in this new environment. Now is the time for higher education to begin thinking seriously about the best ways it can serve its students and its public purpose as the Information Revolution matures and the interest in a K-14 environment continues to grow.
Thoughts?
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