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According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), cumulative student-loan debt now totals $848 billion. That is billion, with a “b.” Furthermore, over half of the students matriculating (56%) will require six years or more to graduate, sending costs skyrocketing further. To make it all worse, the NCES points out that even after six years, these students will lack essential skills for the changing workplace.
I am a member of the Board of Regents for a public university and a past chief technology officer of Raytheon, the nation’s fifth largest defense contractor. I have taught at high school, in industry, and in college. My experiences corroborate the NCES findings.
What to do?
First, let us review some paths taken have not led to success.
Wrong Path Number One: In order to reduce the number of years taken to graduate, some states have mandated a reduction in the minimum number of hours required to achieve a bachelor’s degree. The result? This reduction clearly cheapened the value of the degree while having no effect on cost and no reduction in the number of years to graduate. Requiring 120 hours to attain a degree as opposed to requiring 125 or even 130 hours is not the problem.
Wrong Path Number Two: Some states have forced universities to drop low-enrollment courses and teach only “mainstream” courses. While I wholeheartedly agree that some subjects are more politically correct than academically pertinent, constraining the university to teach only readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic, plus the courses that are popular with the students is anathema to the fundamental premise of a university education. An uneducated student is hardly qualified to judge what subjects constitute a meaningful education. The university is not a trade school.
Wrong Path Number Three: Some states have reduced the number of universities that can grant degrees in fundamental sciences, like physics. The expressed reason is that such action will more efficiently utilize state education funding. This does not accomplish the desired goal as the courses still must be offered at those universities (although not the major) and students seeking that particular major are forced to transfer to other colleges. The result? In the end, it costs the student more, increases the student debt load, and saves the state nothing.
Why are today’s students taking almost six years to graduate? Why are students not ready for the marketplace? Why are student-loan debts soaring to frightening heights with no end in sight?
The real reasons are known and verifiable, but the answers are not popular because they require fundamental changes.
Students require six years to graduate, in large measure because they must take remedial courses in English, mathematics, and science during their first year or two at the university. The reason? They were not adequately taught these subjects in High School, but were graduated anyway.
Right Path Number One: Require standardized testing of all students before they can graduate from high school and be accepted at a university. The standard must be universal and sufficient to ensure that students do not require remedial classes in college. Exceptions should be rare, rare. This will push the responsibility back onto the High Schools to step up to the plate. What specific actions the High Schools might take is arguable, but what is not arguable is that a huge majority of High School graduates are simply not prepared for college-level courses.
Students require six years to graduate, in part, because they register for only 12 hours per semester. Even then, some of these courses are dropped before completion.
Right Path Number Two: We should no longer define twelve hours per semester as a “full-time” student. Assuming no courses are taken in the summer, 12 hours per semester would require at least five years to graduate, as a minimum. A full-time student should be required to complete 15 hours per semester. (Of course this is not easy. That is why it is called a university.)
Another reason for extended graduation times is the changing of majors. When a student changes the major, additional hours are required and some completed hours do not qualify for the new major.
Right Path Number Three: Increase the counseling at colleges to help direct freshmen to their desired career goals. Increase skill testing and professional evaluation among matriculating freshmen. Ensure that freshmen know what jobs exist, what effort is required to achieve success in those jobs, and how long it will take. While these “helps” are available, in some measure, at all universities, this is an area that needs considerable enhancement and needs to be made a requirement.
I will publish other recommendations and ideas should you care to contribute.