Good morning, colleagues. Here is the update from Academic Affairs.
Universities are facing increasing enrollment pressures, including demographic change and increased competition. At a time when the pool of prospective high school students is shrinking, there is an additional factor that amplifies these trends: diminishing support for higher education as a social good.
A recent Gallup/Lumina Foundation national poll indicates that negative perceptions of higher education are now almost equal to the support expressed for higher education. Perceptions do follow a partisan divide, but views on higher education are less positive overall than was true fewer than 10 years ago. In 2015, 57 percent expressed high confidence in higher education—today it’s 36 percent. According to Gallup, respondents are concerned about costs, debt, and the extent to which degrees prepare students for the workforce. Those who support higher education identify the high quality of U.S. postsecondary institutions and graduates’ preparation for success in the workforce as reasons for their support. However, looking to the future, 68 percent of those surveyed expressed the belief that higher education is headed in the wrong direction.
There are societal implications for this shift in perception: If students and their families choose alternative, non-college pathways to future careers instead of a college degree, data show that it could affect their lifetime earnings and they (and society) would miss out on the many benefits of degree attainment.
How can UWM counter these perceptions?
Gallup also surveyed high school students and adults who did not enroll in college. Results indicate that universities need to better articulate their value to the public and address the barriers that prevent potential students from enrolling and being retained, including more support and expert guidance on how to
