UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF EDUCATION 1
e United States has arguably one of the best systems of highereducation in the world. Because of our state-based system andthe broad development of small colleges, the U.S. includes anenormous range of higher education institutions—from eliteprivate universities to public land grant institutions, fromreligious schools to community colleges.
ese institutionsrepresent a variety of academic, research, and cultural missionsand pursue them with relatively less federal intervention thanthat which is common in most other countries.Many believe that higher education is one the moste
ective pathways to upward social mobility and increasedopportunities. For example, according to the College Board,a person who earns a bachelor’s degree may expect to earnnearly double that of a person who has not earned a bachelor’sdegree over a forty-year working period. Higher levels of education correspond to higher incomes, better quality of health, lower incarceration rates, lower rates of poverty across all racial and ethnic groups and for men and women.Given these quality of life di
erences associated with earningpostsecondary degrees, most Americans view broad accessto higher education as a necessary component of the nation’sdemocratic ideal as a “land of opportunity.”But what does it take to align these ideals with the realities of delivering higher education?Pre-college preparation clearly is one critical componentto success. Teachers in our K-12 system need to have theprofessional preparation to develop in their students thecontent knowledge, skills for learning, and intellectualcuriosity necessary for success in higher education. At theUniversity of Michigan School of Education, we understandthe importance of this endeavor and work throughout
DEAN’S NOTE
our teacher preparation program to foster these types of competencies in future teachers.However, these e
orts do not occur in a cultural vacuum.Family and community ideals need to be aligned to lendlegitimacy and value to young people’s pursuit of highereducation and to help students through the o
en dauntingand confusing process of choosing colleges, completingapplications, and decoding funding packages and basicenrollment information. And once at college, students musthave e
ective academic,
nancial, and emotional support to
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ourish in a new and o
en stressful environment.Unfortunately, many of these components of success do notexist for far too many students in higher education. Majordisparities persist based on race, ethnicity, and social class.Within the Center for the Student of Higher and Postsecondary Education here at the School of Education, our faculty andstudents are deeply engaged in research and analysis of thesecritical factors.
eir work produces innovative designs,programs, and practices to address the structural and culturalbarriers that impede access and success in higher education.
eir work is both theoretically and empirically rigorous andbroadly used.
is issue of
Innovator
, with its theme, “Participating in thePromise of Higher Education,” explores the academic andcultural competencies,
nancial resources, and academic andemotional supports needed to access and
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ourish in today’shigher education environment.
DEBORAH LOEWENBERG BALL
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