OECD reports regarding changing reforms as well as the current state of higher education shows yet another informative view of the higher education sphere and how current policies, as well as changes that are needed to be able to have the higher education move forward and comply with the changing world.
The report starts off by mentioning that to have effective policies there must be a correct implementation that drives it. Furthermore, it shows that once policies are actually implemented there is no follow up to see if those policies are indeed working or need any changes to help them work better . Then the report goes on to discuss what policies are currently on the top of the list that higher education system is in need of. With the change of the student landscape, it has become a very important time to implement significant changes. State of higher education report states that higher education has become more flexible in order to meet new demands of emerging student populations. Even international students can study from the safety of their own home.
With the change in students higher education has also been raising tuition and with paying the higher amount the students demand and expect better experiences. Hence, the need for quality assessment is needed. Higher education systems are experiencing great weight on becoming more effective and efficient. However, for things to actually be implemented and sought through funds have become a scarce resource. As mentioned in previous blogs the influence of the government funding is low and rapidly declining. While the government is engaged in helping implement performance-based programs this may be very difficult data to collect which does not coincide with quaintly only account for the quantity. Hence, the need for private funds has become a pivotal role for institutions. The US has received a 5% raise in philanthropic giving for higher education to raise a good portion of its money to support many institutions. Yet not all countries have substantial knowledge of raising money. According to the OECD report, Europe has had problems raising enough funds since it was not necessary in their country while starting colleges. In this scenario the US does have an advantage due to its long history of receiving private funds. However funds are only half of the problem allocation of them as well as policy making is yet another issue that needs to be set in place to have a more constant higher education growth.
The declining governmental support for higher education and the importance of private funding sources, such as tuition paying students and families are central themes of the HEA program at Baruch, and as we are learning in this course, are becoming increasingly prevalent internationally. Diversifying funding sources, by pursuing charitable donations or establishing research partnerships with private companies could help. You make a good point about the US and how our history with philanthropy may give us an advantage over other countries that are experiencing similar funding cuts but don’t have an established tradition of private giving.
As you alluded to, the OECD 2014 Executive Summary 2014 notes one problem that European institutions faced when changing their business models was “the lack of skills and expertise at management level to conduct income diversification.” In my other class, which specifically focuses on fundraising, one reading noted that, “Fundraising willingness, experience, and prowess are basic tenets of any presidential search in colleges and universities in the United States and internationally” (McGoldrick and Robell 2002 p 146). While the OECD reading notes that government incentives could help universities in their efforts toward income diversification, I also believe institutional leadership will become increasingly concerned with and responsible for these types of initiatives.
McGoldrick, W. P. and Robell, P. A. (2002). Campaigning in the new century. In Worth, M. J. (Ed.) New Strategies for Educational Fund Raising (pp. 135-151). American Council on Education.
I could be mistaken but under “supply and demand” it would make sense that we are having more students tuition shouldn’t be raising, but then on the other hand I remember that education is not just a business it is also a customer service, with more students we need more faculty and staff and space, all of which costs money, but this does not speak to the reasons why higher education is so expensive. Know how expensive it is, it’s crazy that higher education is struggling for funds, meaning students are now more responsible for paying for their education. Over the next few years student enrollment will drop, it has already started to do so, it will be interesting to see how the cost of higher education, the need for private funds and student enrollment will correlate.