The IHE -Higher Education’s Future was a very interesting read because it offered different perspectives on what the future of higher education will look like via short articles from well respected thought leaders in international education. The article that stuck out to me most was, “The Challenge of Effective Teaching” by Andres Bernasconi (p. 6). In this piece he explains how higher education has reinvented itself in modern times to value research over effective teaching. He says that research has “taken precedence over education as the defining feature of excellence and distinction” in the field of higher education.

Some colleges and universities that have been germane to professional and technical education have begun to embrace research missions even if that means they do not do it well. The lure of funding (sciences), institutional prestige, and global ranking can surprisingly change the direction and academic identity of a higher education institution. Faculty are generally only publically acknowledged or renowned for their research accomplishments therefore their commitment to the function of teaching can become secondary. For an institution where research trumps all else, tenure endeavors will focus beyond the classroom.

Bernasconi argues that research will always be an overwhelming focus for institutions that focus on research but what about institutions that are not research based? He foresees a time where the same type of research scrutiny will fall upon faculty and colleges/universities to prove that they are indeed expanding the minds of students and recognition will be bestowed accordingly. I yearn for that time!

Another short article that I appreciated came from Philip Altbach (p. 4) he spoke to the overwhelming enrollment numbers that are expected by year 2020 and questioned how higher education can remain a leader in research while creating greater access to quality tertiary education for this expected influx of students.

Higher education massification in the U.S. has a detailed history after WWII (that I will not get into) through present, yet it is still driven by the pursuit of upward social and economic mobility and overall national economic growth globally and in the U.S. A research article that I read, outlined some of the specific challenges of massification, one being large class sizes where student learning and quality education are negatively affected. I currently work at a small college that has a very comprehensive support system for students in their first year specifically. My fear is that once we scale, that support will no longer be as targeted, as intentional nor as efficient. A key challenge for us and for institutions overall is to ensure that adequacy in research and in student support and learning are equally as supported and drive the institutional mission.

Reference:

http://www.academia.edu/6182729/Massification_in_Higher_Education_Large_Classes_and_Student_Learning