Running head: HIGHER EDUCATION FOR A CHANGING WORLD

Higher Education for a Changing World:

Reflections on the Role of Higher Education in Society
Russell Aivazian
Loyola University Chicago

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Introduction
Beginning with the first colonial colleges, higher education institutions have occupied an
important place in American society. As the landscape of American society has changed, the
place occupied by higher education has evolved as a result of social and structural changes
within the system of higher education. Institutions have to continually change and adapt to
advances in theory, technology, and structure, which has left lingering questions about the
importance of higher education and the role it plays in American society. Throughout this class,
it has been evident that the role of higher education has continually evolved from the original
Oxbridge model and faith-based colonial colleges into a much larger system that educates
millions of students each year across many different disciplines, forms, and platforms (Thelin,
2011). Institutions have moved away from only educating the elite to providing education that
seeks to meet the various needs of students exiting secondary education and preparing
themselves for the challenges they will be faced with in society. With the pressures from the
marketplace (individuals and organization who benefit from the hiring of college graduates)
continuing to influence the post-secondary experience, it is important to stop and take a look at
the system of higher education in order to understand where it is going and what place in society
colleges and universities will hold in the future.
Looking at my own undergraduate experience, the main source of learning took place
outside of the classroom. It was during my undergraduate experience where I could explore my
own identity and develop my talents in order to address the complexities with a changing society.
In the classroom, I was taught the practical skills and theories needed to succeed in my specific
major (business management), but it was in the outside environment where I was able to put
those skills and theories into practice. The topic of the importance and role of higher education

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in society will continue to be important as institutions attempt to more effectively blend the
college experiences that take place inside and outside of the classroom. As the costs of higher
education skyrocket, people will continue to question the importance of a traditional college
experience. Because the function of higher education seems to move into a pathway to future
employment, institutions will have to understand how to differentiate themselves in order to
answer these questions and remain viable for the future. Through this reflection on the course
and my own personal experiences, I hope to better understand and define the role of higher
education in our society as it moves away from the traditional four-year experience.
Preparing for the Challenges of a Changing World
Upon reflection of my own experience as well as the literature for the course, I believe
that the purpose and role of higher education should be to educate and prepare students for the
challenges of a changing world. Ever since the colonial colleges were created, the focus has
centered on the education of students through a rigid curriculum (Thelin, 2011). Even as
institutions have become larger and multi-faceted, the focus seems to be rooted in the education
of the liberal arts. What the curriculum lacks in our current system is a more dynamic approach
to educating students around the foundational topics that currently manifest themselves in an
institutions core curriculum. More than ever, students are looking elsewhere to get their
foundational courses completed at community colleges or through concurrent or Advanced
Placement (AP) credit (Renn & Reason, 2013). Students have to bear the high cost of education
and are not seeing the value of taking a foundational course at a traditional four-year university.
In response, higher education institutions should reexamine and revitalize their core
curriculums to make the classroom experience more interdisciplinary. Because students are
being pressured to choose their majors and career paths at an earlier stage in their college journey

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(Levine & Dean, 2012), universities should empower faculty members to collaborate and create
foundational core courses that prepare students for their specific field. As Mintz (2013)
explained, rather than designing foundational courses on their own, faculty members will work
with colleagues and instructional designers to develop simulations, animations, and assessment
collaboratively (Innovation 3 section, para. 1). Because many programs require that
foundational courses be completed before major-specific courses, this collaboration between
disciplines will provide a way for students to reflect on their possible next steps and passions.
Higher education institutions should not only seek to educate students for the challenges
of a changing world, they should provide the resources necessary to prepare students for the
future. For me, this is where the student affairs professionals can play a large role in the
development of students throughout college. Through residence life, career development, and
student activities programs (to name a few), students can apply the skills learned in the
classroom to their work as a student leader. As a student affairs educator, my hope is to create
and strengthen that connection within students in order to make some meaning out of their
college experience. Key to the Oxbridge model was the ability for students to live and learn in
the same environment, with extracurricular activities centered in their respective colleges
(Thelin, 2011). This meant that faculty, whose expertise was in teaching and not necessarily in
understanding and responding to student concerns, led all functions on the institutional level. As
institutions began to grow and attract a more diverse student body, this approach to education did
not prove to be effective. Because institutions had to adapt to this changing environment for
students, universities began to implement a Dean of Students position (Thelin describes the
positions as Dean of Men) in order to better respond to student concerns (Thelin, 2011).
Institutions have been in the business of preparing students for future professions since their

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inception, but the way in which institutions dedicate resources and respond to students needs
must change.
Many traditional four-year institutions continue to create environments similar to the
early universities in the Oxbridge model. As education and on-campus housing costs have risen
over the past decade, students and institutions are redefining what it means to live and learn in
the same place. More than before, students are choosing to commute or live off campus to make
college more affordable (Renn & Reason, 2013), which has made it difficult for those students to
benefit from the experiences their peers get from living on campus. As Renn and Reason (2013)
point out, students who live on campus are more likely to be retained at an institution because
they are able to quickly find a community and build affinity to their university. As students
move away from this traditional on-campus atmosphere, universities must reexamine how they
engage students, similar to the way residence halls engage students in living-learning
communities.
Many critics of the current higher education system argue that institutions are becoming
more in the business of preparing students for their next job rather than educating students
holistically. From my observation, this seems to be something that is changing in the American
higher education system. Because the private sector is the area that benefits from collegeeducated individuals, they have a lot of impact in the way colleges educate and prepare their
students. Essentially, if a specific company or organization finds that a certain university does
not properly educate their students for their organization, they can look elsewhere for their
recruiting efforts. Universities have been clouded with the press and esteem that comes with
having graduates in large corporations or in C-level positions. At the end of the day, the
outcomes of the higher education system should not be focused on the highest placement of

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students in full-time positions after graduation. Institutions should be creating students who live
out the mission of the institution through their work (whatever it may be).
Even though getting a full-time position after graduation should not be the main focus of
a higher education institution, universities should provide resources for students in order to
succeed during college and after graduation. This means that institutions must find ways for
students to identity their own talents and use those talents to meet the needs of a changing world.
As a student affairs educator, this means that I must find ways to engage students outside of the
classroom and challenge them to think more critically about their own identities and how they
hope to interact with a changing environment.
Redefining Town and Gown
As Perkin (1997) described, the relationship between the early universities and
surrounding communities was continually tumultuous. This complex relationship has been
challenged many times throughout the history, namely in the late 1960s. Universities were the
focus of national attention as students began to riot and protest in response to the governments
involvement in the Vietnam War. Much national media attention was focused on the events of
Kent State and UC Berkley and empowered students nationwide to stand up and use their
collective voices to create change (Thelin, 2011). Since this time, however, students are using
different tactics to impact their communities. College students in the current system, realizing
that they dont have sway on national issues, are focusing their efforts on local issues the affect
their community. Students at an increasing rate are literally getting their hands dirty and
engaging in volunteerism, tutoring, and fundraising in order to address some of the issues
plaguing their communities (Levine & Dean, 2012).

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In addition to the shift in student attitudes about activism on campus, universities are
serving their communities in various ways. Namely, large institutions with strong health
sciences programs have created medical centers that reach far outside of their flagship campus.
Institutions are also creating centers for community service and experiential learning that help
connect students to community resources in the surrounding area in order to positively impact
the surrounding community. Universities also currently serve as the agents for scientific and
scholarly breakthroughs, which continue to impact the community and maintain US
competiveness within many areas. Dedicated institutional resources to the community have
begun to blur the traditional lines between town and gown for modern institutions. Coupled
with the large impact athletics has had on many communities surrounding colleges and
universities, these initiatives have created an environment where the institution is heavily
involved and acts as a stakeholder within the community. Specifically for urban universities,
however, this will remain an important issue and consideration as those institutions seek to
increase their student body. This will continue to be a consideration for universities such as
Loyola Chicago as the institution continues to expand and impact the neighborhood (i.e. closing
streets, buying up property, etc.). Institutions will have to think creatively about how they would
like to grow while also benefiting the surrounding community.
In addition to the challenges experienced between universities and their surrounding
community, there is an ongoing challenge of understanding who is responsible to cover the costs
of education. Traditionally, the government has provided aid and support to many institutions
and students in the form of loans and grants. Due to the recent financial downturn, however, this
has proved challenging and unsustainable as colleges continue to experience growing
enrollments. As Thelin (2011) explains: the traditional historical evidence is that state support

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has been 75 percent of the universitys operating budget in 1910 but had fallen to about 20
percent in 2000 (pg. xxvi). As the amount of students attending college has risen, the amount of
aid from the government has declined as a result of soaring higher education costs. Given that
more first-generation students are pursuing a college degree (Renn & Reason, 2013), it is
important for the higher education system to step back and take a look at how future students and
parents will be able to afford college. As government aid decreases, institutions will have to
think creatively about how to increase the funding for endowment programs and from the private
sector (one of the customers of higher education).
Conclusion
I believe that we are at a critical point when it comes to the future of higher education.
With the introduction of new and innovative education platforms that provide a quick and less
expensive alternative to the four-year experience, higher education institutions must be
challenged to think of ways to create a more dynamic curriculum and experience that responds to
the changing landscape of American society. I believe that the traditional four-year universities
will continue to exist in some form. What will change is the way in which we educate and
prepare our students for a complex and changing world. In order for universities to remain
relevant in the current system, institutions will have to move away from the rigid core
curriculum to a more collaborative and interdisciplinary core in order to help students
understand their passion and make meaning out of their experience. The current liberal arts
foundation for many universities makes it challenging for higher education professionals to keep
their programs and institutions relevant as students are choosing other means of education.
Colleges and universities need to continue their focus on their community outreach and find
ways to integrate that experience and learning into the curriculum of the institution. Higher

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education institutions have occupied an important place in the history of the United States and
will continue to hold that position in the future if colleges and universities are able to be flexible
and respond to the needs of a changing student body and society.

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10

References
Levine, A., & Dean D. R. (2012). Generation on a tightrope: a portrait of todays college
student. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Mintz, S. (2013, July 22). The future is now: 15 innovations to watch for. The Chronicle of
Higher Education Commentary.
Perkin, H. (1991/1997). History of universities. In L. F. Goodchild & H. S. Wechsler (Eds.),
History of higher education, second edition, (pp. 3-34). Needham Heights, MA: Simon
& Schuster Publishing.
Renn, K. A., & Reason, R. D. (2013). College students in the United States: characteristics,
experiences, and outcomes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Thelin, J. R. (2011). A history of American higher education, second edition. Baltimore, MD:
The Johns Hopkins University Press.