By Justin M. Suer
Justin is Dean, Business, Public Policy and Social Services at Ivy Tech Community College in Southern Indiana and tireless advocate for student success.
The makeup of the U.S. economy has been completely transformed over the last three decades. The economy has moved rapidly from a manufacturing economy to a service and knowledge based economy. The alarming pace of change continues to accelerate. This change, driven by technology and globalization, leave behind a trail of workers ill-equipped to keep pace.
“America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a generation of GI’s to college, trained the best workforce in the world.” said President Obama. “We were ahead of the curve. But other countries caught on. And in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to up our game. We need to do more.”
Educational Attainment
The evidence is clear. Educational attainment is vital to employment and higher earnings.
According to recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse, however, the percentage of students actually earning degrees continues to decline.
“Out of 2.9 million students enrolled, the overall national six-year completion rate for the fall 2009 in-coming students was 52.9 percent, a decline of 2.1 percentage points from the fall 2008 cohort. This is twice the rate of the decline observed in last year’s report. Combined with a small decrease in the percent of students who were still enrolled in their sixth year, the rate at which students were no longer enrolled, without having earned a degree, increased 2.7 percentage points, from 30.3 percent to 33 percent” concludes the report.
The Three R’s
Alarmingly, we have fewer students completing degree programs despite an increased demand for knowledge in the U.S. economy. Why?
As a community college administrator, I see first-hand the myriad obstacles students face completing degree programs. The keys to overcoming those obstacles fall under one of three categories that start with the letter “R”:
- Resources
- Resiliency
- Relationships
Resources
Time and money are our scarcest resources. College and/or job training is both expensive and time consuming. Since 1971, the cost of tuition has risen much faster than the median family income.
Navigating the complex web of financial aid is convoluted and confusing. Consequently, many students are unable to fund 100 percent of their education expenses.
“We know we can’t help every student reach 100 percent,” says Linda Trusty, associate director for financial aid at Morgan State University. “Our goal is to help our students reach 80 percent.”
Consequently, students are forced to work 15-40 hours and/or incur debt in order to fund the shortfall. This further delays the completion of degree programs. In many instances, it leads to a permanent stop out. Moreover, there are serious consequences to the accumulation of student debt.
“Young people are postponing home ownership, postponing family formation, postponing children, postponing starting businesses – because, in part at least, of student debt.” says Purdue University President Mitch Daniels. “So we’ve built ourselves a significant set of problems here and it’s really good that there’s now such sensitivity and people are working on it.”
Resiliency
Today’s college students have jobs, families, and liabilities. Consequently, life’s turbulence is inevitable. Like a prize fighter, some students are able to absorb the knocks without losing a foothold. Others are less resilient. Those students lack certain non-cognitive characteristics that give rise to persistence. Psychologist, Angela Duckworth, uses the term “grit” to describe these characteristics. Furthermore, she has developed a test called the “Grit Scale” that measures these characteristics. Duckworth defines grit as “sticking with things over the very long term until you master them.” Standardized tests tend to measure cognitive intelligence. Intelligence is an important predictor of success; however, grit is an enormously undervalued ingredient. Students with grit face the turbulence with more stamina and resilience than their more vulnerable peers.
Ivy Tech student, Candace Godin, exemplifies grit. “I had my daughter Emerie at the age of 16… as a sophomore in high school.” says Candace. “I decided that I didn’t want to be another statistic… that I was and will always be more than just a statistic. I wanted to be the outlier. In May of 2016, I will graduate with a degree in Paralegal Studies… not because it’s been easy, but because I’ve been determined to persevere and be the outlier.”
Dr. Carol Dweck is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success introduces a similar theory.
According to Dweck, students with a fixed mindset believe intelligence is static. Students with a growth mindset, however, understand that intelligence is pliable. Students with a growth mindset feel empowered to improve. Students with a fixed mindset, however, are more easily deterred by setbacks.
Relationships
First generation college students, lower-income students, and minority students face “social-psychological” barriers that limit them. Their parents and peers are unfamiliar with the process of preparing for college, applying for admission and financial aid, and navigating the higher education system. These students lack a support network to help them maneuver through unfamiliar territory.
“It’s like going to a foreign country and trying to navigate systems and programs that you have never come in contact with before,” says Tenesha Villanueva, a co-director of alumni programs at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston.
Research indicates that students who develop purposeful relationships with faculty and staff are more likely to succeed in college. Consequently, institutions are taking steps to hire and train additional staff and faculty to assist those students. Counselors, advisers, mentors, and non-profit agencies like Education Matters (EMSI) offer meaningful one-on-one relationships with students.
“Once registered with EMSI, we work with each individual on their next step and meet that person where they are in their educational journey—whether that’s career exploration, transcript and credit evaluation, financial aid issues, prior learning assessment, etc.,” says Bridgett Strickler, Executive Director of Education Matters in New Albany, IN. “Our One Stop is composed of career guidance and academic advising experts who are ready to serve our community as neutral advocates for adults wanting to return and complete.”
Conclusion
The economic stakes are high. In their book, “The Race between Education and Technology, the Harvard economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence F. Katz wrote about the economic quandary. “Not so long ago, the American economy grew rapidly and wages grew in tandem, with education playing a large, positive role in both,” they wrote. “The challenge now is to revitalize education-based mobility.” Policymakers, parents, and educators must do more to assist our young people with resources, resiliency, and relationships. Institutions must find ways to better help students develop grit and a growth mindset. Institutions must equip staff and faculty with the skills needed to better understand the needs of low-income and minority students and cultivate edifying relationships. Mentorship and support are critical to student success. Policymakers must find ways to slow or halt the rising cost of higher education and the escalating student debt problem without thwarting the completion of degrees and job training. If we cannot solve this complex problem, economic inequality will continue to swell.
Education Matters Southern Indiana 