International Higher Education @Baruch College

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

(Please note: I am submitting an additional blog post for Week 12 here, in lieu of posting the 3 comments on Week 12 blogs – I will be on medical leave 5/5/-5/19)

For my additional blog post, I wanted to write about a very interesting article that I came upon during my Week 12 research. After reading both articles for this week, I found myself searching deeper into internationalization in our home country. While I love reading about the education systems in other countries, I find myself most compelled to read about studies in the U.S because it is the easiest for me to conceptualize.

Found on HigherEdJobs.com, I really liked a piece titled “US Losing its Domninance in Global Higher Education Market.” Because this week’s readings were all about the internationalization of Higher Education and the many things to consider/challenges we face in this unique field, I found it most relevant to discuss another article about our home country.  In this piece, author Jason Lane explains that while most Americans assume students from other countries come to us to study abroad, statistics are starting to show otherwise! In fact, many U.S students are compelled to travel abroad for their education. In our class, we have discussed Internationalization at Home, and previous readings have provided statistics that show the U.S is a primary destination for international study. Yet, he elaborates, “Germany alone, with its essentially free higher education system, is drawing a fair number of prospective US college students. Some 4,660 US students were enrolled in German universities last year – a number that has increased by 20% in three years” (Lane, 2015, p.1). I found this extremely interesting because as an American who has gone through all stages of education here (never having studied abroad) I am only familiar with the concept of friends leaving the U.S to study abroad for one semester, or going to a Caribbean medical college.

Yet, this article brings up the controversial notion that U.S students may be compelled to seek their education elsewhere, contrary to the many discussions we have had about the U.S being the most desirable place to learn! He explains, “We can confidently say that the United Kingdom was the leading destination for US students. Most US students (72%) in this data set head to anglophone countries. Master’s degree programs are the most popular option (followed by undergraduate programs and then doctoral)” (Lane, 2015, p.1). I was not very surprised to see that the U.K would be the most popular destination, followed by a majority of English-speaking countries. Although American students may wish to study abroad, I can completely understand wanting to stay somewhere that is relatable and familiar while still achieving a new experience.

This week’s readings, “Bridges to the Future” and “IHE at Twenty: Higher Education’s Future” both provided lots of thoughtful analysis regarding the future of global Higher Education. As we have previously discussed in this course, there are many moving parts which play a role in the internationalization of Higher Education. As mentioned in “Bridges to the Future,” there are several emerging themes to consider for the field of global Higher Education. As the world around us changes politically and economically, so does the capability for providing educational services, both at home and overseas. We must consider many things when discussing higher education and its future as a global entity. We must dissect the concept of internationalization itself, the impacts of emerging technologies, the changes in the study abroad field, as well as the broad notion of global citizenship just to name a few of several important topics. On top of all of these things, one must also consider potential limitations like financial constraints, policy hurdles, governmental involvement and support (or lack thereof) as well as competency and assessment challenges. As both articles reiterate, the future of international higher education seems bright, but those in the field are not without reservations.

Something that I found most interesting about both of these articles was that they prompted the reader to think critically and to ask the important questions. For instance, in “Bridges to the Future,” the author writes “Key questions emerge in this area: Will institutions remain institution-centric or move to global-centric? How do global efforts align with the institutional mission? What competencies are needed for institutions to engage as global citizens in the world?” (p.458) In IHE at Twenty, they add “There is a dichotomy between the necessity of education and supporting elite research institutions.” (p.4) How will we ensure that both aspects of Higher Education are appropriately supported? Although the articles do not have direct solutions to all of these questions, I think it is wonderful that these concepts are being introduced in a way which forces the reader to make their own interpretations of the information.

In a similar article titled, “Global: The big challenges for higher education” the author continues on the same train of thought by bringing up another concerning and thought-provoking issue: the fairness involved in the accessibility of higher education, especially globally. She writes, “”It is still the case for most systems that despite massification, access is primarily for people from advanced socio-economic groups. So the issue of fairness in access to higher education remains.” (MacGregor, 2010, p.1) I find the question of fairness to be one which requires much more thought and research, but wanted to bring it up to show the evolution of the questions involved here, and how complex the topic can be.

The future of Internationalization will provide a continuous push to provide global citizens for the world through collaboration of Institutions around the world. Higher Ed will continue to reach countries that once had no presence of Higher Education by ways of internet with online courses and other technologies. Technology is the driving force for accessibility, allowing students to learn through virtual mobility and other new platforms. Social media through the use of phones will increase as many in third world countries have phones but no computer.

The future will also be diverse with a wider range of options to earn a degree or achieve skills. As the monopoly on Higher Ed dwindles, new providers will enter the arena of Higher Ed providing students with an education passport of skills to be added to the their transcripts of life learning achievements. Students will be able to create an a la cart version of education ranging from everything including traditional classroom learning, to study abroad, to virtual classes at remote place that one may never have the chance to visit.

As Higher Ed expands, quality of an education will be in question. Consolidation of resources may be inevitable to assure traditional Higher Ed does not lose its place in society. Cost of education will be a driving factor for the future direction of Higher Ed. If the market expands, and the monopoly dwindles, how do we protect the institution of Higher Ed through quality measures that make new providers accountable for the education they produce?

And what about the global competitors that do not promote academic freedom the way we do in America. Is this a good thing or bad? For a student to have the perspective of how education is achieved in other parts of the world, would be an education in itself. Deardorff et al reminds us that “Active engagement with the rest of the world has become fundamental to a high quality education…” (p. 461.) The definition of what a global education is yet to be determined but the importance of an education and the Institution of an education remains the same. Bassett states “Higher Ed reaches into the lives of every person on earth – through research, technology, teacher training and others” (p.5). But only the global elite get to contribute and benefit directly. Access to a global education will be the single most important challenge for Higher Ed.