by Lindsay Nygren, AWC Central Scotland
Across the globe, countries have responded to COVID-19 as best as they can to limit the spread of infection by closing all non-essential services, including schools at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. While this was done to limit in-person meeting, the sudden shift to online learning has drastically cranked up the gears of the higher education machine, which have been grinding along in the same traditions for decades. But just because universities are revered as traditional and prestigious institutions does not mean they are above changing with the times. As Chesrbough alludes, perhaps COVID-19 is the wake-up call that was needed to re-evaluate how higher education is meant to serve the general population and equip its students with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the global economy. Tuition fees have been increasing for domestic and international students alike, creating monumental student debt which has an unequal payoff in earnings after graduation, furthering limiting access to who can attend university. This increasing cost, along with a scarcity of housing, office and classroom space, has made it blatantly apparent that the system universities have become accustomed to is unsustainable (Chesbrough, 2020). As this pandemic eventually subsides, there is no return to what was normal. I believe higher education is at a crossroads, and we should look to the future and ensure that the changes made are positive, work to progress the higher education system to further close the accessibility gap, and break down the concept of the untouchable and unmovable ivory towers, the protection of traditional universities.
I support Griffin's thinking that it must be accepted that the landscape of higher education is changing and that this can be the starting point to widen access and continue the evolution of education to adequately bridge graduates to the modern employment market. The chain reaction initiated by COVID-19 has shown that not only those set to enter the labor market are impacted by the current global climate, but also those only beginning their educational journey. The return on higher education for lower-income students is extraordinary, yet without relationships and guidance from professionals within higher education, the gap between lower- and higher-income student admissions is set to widen. With the uncertainty of accessibility and employment opportunities, relationships and transparency are now more important than ever (Griffin, 2020). The research seems to indicate that the current situation offers the chance for higher education institutions to restructure their outreach as well as bridge the gap between graduation and career. Universities must own student outcomes by ensuring that their education sufficiently prepares them to enter the workforce. This is the opportunity for a higher education revolution which will seek to harmonize the modern era of technology while still providing the quality of education that will ensure graduate employment. Welcoming digital technology and distance learning alongside traditional teaching techniques is quickly becoming the new normal. But this also has revealed the shortcomings of current higher education systems in countries all around the world. It is now that educators, students, policy-makers and world leaders can work together to ensure that in the days after COVID-19, education will continue to serve the society in supplying highly-skilled labor and provide social and economic mobility for its learners (Griffin, 2020; Kandri, 2020). The world of higher education is uncertain, but its role in society continues to be important, and we can expect that a different model of education will emerge to bridge the gap in access and employment that has been ignored for too long (Kandri, 2020). Univiersities would be wise to follow the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
References
Chesbrough, H., 2020. Higher Education At The Covid-19 Crossroads. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/henrychesbrough/2020/05/19/higher-education-at-the-covid-19-crossroads/
[Accessed 21 May 2020].
Griffin, A., 2020. Repairing The Broken Connection Between College And Career. [Online]
Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisongriffin/2020/05/20/repairing-the-broken-connection-between-college-and-career/#5f3d79a032e7
[Accessed 21 May 2020].
Kandri, S.-E., 2020. How COVID-19 is driving a long-overdue revolution in education. [Online]
Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/how-covid-19-is-sparking-a-revolution-in-higher-education/
[Accessed 21 May 2020].
