As the president of CR, I have the opportunity to witness the incredible transformative power of higher education every day. I was alarmed, then, when I read a March 23 Forbes article titled “Helping Underserved Students Find the Right Postsecondary Pathway” by Dan Fisher where he reported on the findings of a national survey by ECMC Group related to barriers to post-secondary education. The survey found that fewer than half of Gen Z teens are considering a four-year college, with 53% open to pursuing other options. Additionally, of the more than 1,000 students ages 14-18 from low-income, first-generation and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) backgrounds surveyed, only 45% believe that education of any kind beyond high school is necessary.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that students and their parents are starting to doubt the value of a traditional college degree, given the continual rise in the cost of education and the increasing rhetoric and politicization of higher education. Moreover, the proliferation of tech platforms like Google and Amazon offering career certificates has only strengthened the belief that traditional higher education holds less value than in the past and might not even be necessary.
While the results of the survey are troubling, I believe that we can successfully argue for the value of higher education if we reframe the dialogue. Rather than discussing whether higher education is worth the financial cost, we should talk about what we lose if we allow these forces to overshadow the true purpose of higher education, which is to create informed citizens who are active participants in their communities.
If you agree with the school of thought, as cited by the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey, that the predominant reason for higher education is to help people get a good or better job, then the cost/benefit analysis might not work out in our favor.
However, another school of thought centers around the belief that higher education is about preparing a person for a successful life — to help them become well-rounded, well-educated individuals who are capable of thinking critically and communicating clearly. These skills are essential in our era of widespread misinformation and propaganda, and they fortify our society against political manipulation and exploitation, among other things.
Fortunately, our community has access to two high-quality institutions that believe that the purpose of higher education is both. College is about preparing people for a job (and helping them advance their careers and earnings) and creating curious, capable thinkers who are prepared for success in all aspects of their lives. This belief forms the foundation of both CR’s Education Master Plan and the collaborative relationship between CR/Cal Poly Humboldt.
In College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt, our community has access to institutions that provide relevant educational choices, including the study of the liberal arts and humanities, which foster critical thinking and leadership skills and offer technical education that responds to evolving workforce needs and rapidly developing new industries in our area.
If we want to answer the question of whether college is worth it, we need to start by asking, “what is the purpose of college?” Reflecting on that might very well be the key to unlocking the next era of growth in CR and Cal Poly Humboldt and providing for the economic and well-being prosperity for our area. I know that Dr. Tom Jackson shares my interest in communicating the unique value of our institutions so that students continue to choose CR and Cal Poly Humboldt from among the array of other post-secondary options.
Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.
