Danielle Marie Holland’s Post

When we think about the "value" of higher education in purely individual, economic terms, we miss an awful lot. https://lnkd.in/ezU4Gpsg Case in point, many institutions are home to museums, special collections, exhibits, and cultural events. Some of the institutions I tend to study are home to one of few museums accessible to people in the region. And they are incredibly important to preserving and celebrating local lifeways. When we only see the contributions of higher education institutions in terms of degrees, earnings, and workforce development, we fail to capture the role they play as anchor institutions. And it makes it easier for policymakers to justify reduced support for higher education. Cutting, contracting, and closing anchor institutions is detrimental to communities, especially those ravaged by the economic fallout of large corporations and manufacturers closing facilities. We ought to see higher education institutions as more than just job training centers. They are "stewards of place" and should be seen as critical community infrastructure in places that have often been neglected or abandoned by the private sector and government.

Interesting read

Higher education is engaging in a painful learning process and pruning degree programs that are financially unsustainable. Perhaps these institutions will learn from this process and require rigorous and reliable market analyses as part of proposals for new degree programs. Too often, new degrees don’t solve a market issue, or even a disciplinary issue. Instead, the genesis of a new degree program is often as a pet project of a tenured professor who really likes a particular subject. This gives a professor in this situation the opportunity to design and teach all their courses rather than being told by someone else what courses need to be taught. A great example of this is the massive (and unsustainable) growth in US historic preservation graduate programs—especially certificates—from 2005 to 2019. The number of programs doubled while the total number of enrolled students—across all institutions—remained flat. As a result, enrollment in existing programs tanked and the promised number of students never materialized in the new programs. This has caused a number of programs to close. More will be coming. If anyone had bothered to do a market analysis on the historic preservation field as part of the proposal process, the data would have shown that the market would not have supported an increase in graduate historic preservation programs. To date, I remain the *only* researcher to have analyzed the historic preservation market and the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by its employers. For a field to exist for more than half a century without any of its researchers (save one!) systematically analyzing the needs of its employers is shocking and revealing. In all this, where is the concern and support for leading students to a successful career path? The absence of these data says a lot about whose needs are being served in higher education. But, it can change if leaders are open to (or, even better, require) data to drive the design and implementation of degree programs.

A great summary of the challenges we face in higher education. These challenges are also opportunities for innovation and evolution. An exciting time to be in this space.

This article helps to explain the current higher education crisis. It's a perfect storm of falling birth rates, increased operational costs, and decreased belief in the value of four-year degrees, to mention just a few. Higher education is worth saving, but only some of the schools out there will survive. https://lnkd.in/gjS5z8ya

I love Laura and Kelly's book Broke: The Racial Consequences of Underfunding Public Universities. It stays on top of my bookshelf today. This book is a great resource for making the case to state legislatures about the decline of state funding over the past four decades at state universities for other priorities such as health care and prisons. It is essential to understand that education and healthcare are interconnected. Investing in education not only leads to positive outcomes for healthcare but also reduces the likelihood of recidivating by 43%. Furthermore, individuals who drop out of high school are 63% more likely to be incarcerated compared to their peers with four-year college degrees. So why not hit the gas and invest more in higher education and not less?

This is a real concern. I seem to tirelessly point out that intellectuals visit Galleries, theatre, ballet, opera, listen to music, read poetry and when people want to show they are successful they buy art, fashion, key pieces by designers, live in beautifully designed buildings…. For wellbeing the arts are crucial as many discovered during the pandemic. Drama, music, dance and artistic creativity in all its forms are used as devices to help humans deal with difficult situations, process trauma and come to terms with life’s challenges. The arts are essential to humanity that these things exist and are experienced. Evidence of Drawing has existed for 80,000 years.. 80,000! paper only 3,000 and the printed word and only around 1500- and still the ability to read is not universal but the ability to appreciate art or use it to tell stories from ancient civilisations. Art gives us something to look forward to Some respite, some form of reflection, sometimes a mirror, a stirring … it’s thought provoking, experimental and exciting and now also vulnerable. Disturbingly so as it’s the Paragons of art education that are listed here as cutting the arts - how has this been allowed ? The arts are fundamental aspect of our humanity, providing solace, inspiration, and a means of understanding ourselves and the world around us. Without it, our existence would be significantly diminished.

A number of universities have recently proposed cuts to arts subjects, including University of Kent, Queen Mary University of London, Goldsmiths, University of London, Middlesex University, University of Surrey and University of Winchester. https://lnkd.in/e7CiA8ex It's concerning news, with dire consequences for arts education, arts access & the creative industries. Higher Education arts and creative subjects are ‘not strategic priorities’ for the Government. In 2021, they instructed a 50% cut to high-cost subject funding of arts courses, despite the majority of the British public opposing the cut. https://lnkd.in/e7jzriVB Despite this view, the Government plans to grow the creative industries by £50bn and support a million more jobs by 2030. https://lnkd.in/eJPb7Eid However, the creative industries rely heavily on the skills developed in the arts & creative degrees affected by recent cuts. This latest news may not come as a surprise, given the wider climate, with arts education provision facing increasing pressure and challenge. Since 2010, arts enrolment has dropped by 47% at GCSE and 29% at A-level. https://lnkd.in/gVcqjQZA All of these developments have major implications for the education and aspirations of our young people, the arts education workforce and the health and diversity of our creative industries.

#HigherEducation continues to evolve, with institutions adapting to changing student needs and economic realities. I reflected on some recent AP News which highlighted the trend of colleges and universities rightsizing their academic portfolios. This process involves evaluating and adjusting program offerings to better align with student demand, market needs, and institutional resources. Building on my previous posts about the future of higher education, I've been reflecting on how strategic portfolio management will shape our institutions. Here are 5 key aspects of rightsizing academic portfolios in higher education: 🎓 Rightsizing Academic Portfolios in Higher Education 🎓 1️⃣ Data-Driven Decision Making: Institutions are using enrollment trends, job market data, and financial metrics to inform program decisions. 2️⃣ Focus on Core Strengths: Universities are identifying and investing in programs that align with their mission and demonstrate strong outcomes. 3️⃣ Resource Reallocation: Funds from underperforming programs are being reinvested in high-demand areas or emerging fields. 4️⃣ Workforce Alignment: Increased emphasis on programs that directly prepare students for in-demand careers and skills. 5️⃣ Flexible Learning Pathways: Development of modular curricula and micro-credentials to complement traditional degree programs. While rightsizing can be challenging, it's often necessary for long-term sustainability and relevance. What strategies have you found effective in balancing tradition with innovation?

Good for you Tennessee public universities!! We talk about the demographic cliff on a daily basis, but what about the movement AGAINST the importance of postsecondary education that is happening in this country? Are we accounting for those students who will be lost because they are being told that a degree is not important? If we keep going down this path we are going to have an even bigger issue than we are facing with demographic shifts. How do we band together to push the importance of education after high school...community college, four year degree, technical school...anything and everything? I would love to hear if you are already starting to address this at your university! #higheredmarketing #highereducation #collegeadmissions #highered #emchat