Higher Education's Road to Relevance Navigating Complexity

Explores the current context, role, and challenges of post-secondary education and presents options for promising pathways forward.  

The post-secondary educational system has undergone dramatic changes and experienced immense stress in the past two decades. Once regarded as the logical next step toward career opportunities and financial security, higher education is a subject of growing uncertainty for millions of people across the United States. It is more common than ever to question the return on investment, skyrocketing cost, and student debt burden of going to college. Prospective students, and many employers, increasingly view attending institutions of higher learning as inadequate preparation for entering the 21^st century workforce. High-profile scandals—financial impropriety, sexual abuse, restrictions of free speech, among others—have further eroded public trust. In response to these and other challenges, leading voices are demanding strengthened accountability and measurable change.

Higher Education's Road to Relevance illustrates why change is needed in post-secondary education and offers practical solutions to pressing concerns. The authors, internationally recognized experts in college-level teaching and learning innovation, draw heavily from contemporary research to provide an integrative approach for post-secondary faculty, staff, and administrators of all levels. This timely book helps readers identify the need for leadership in developing new networks and ecosystems of learning and workforce development. This valuable book will help readers:

• Understand the forces driving change in higher education
• Develop multiple pathways to create and credential self-directed learners
• Promote access to flexible, cost-effective, and relevant learning
• Adapt structures and pedagogies to address issues and overcome challenges
• Use an inclusive approach that extends to employers, K-12 educators, post-secondary educators, and policy-makers, among others

Higher Education's Road to Relevance is a much-needed resource for college and university administrators, academic researchers, instructors and other faculty, and staff who support and interact with students.

Susan A. Ambrose, D.A., Professor of Education and History, is Senior Vice Chancellor for Educational Innovation at Northeastern University. She is an internationally recognized expert in college-level teaching and learning and has conducted workshops and seminars for faculty and administrators throughout the United States and around the world.

Laura A. Wankel, EdD, is the Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Educational Innovation at Northeastern University. She has been an active member in NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education at both the regional and national level in a number of leadership positions including Regional Vice President, Executive Committee and Chair of the NASPA Board.

Acknowledgments vii

About the Authors ix

Introduction 1

1 Exploring Challenges and Opportunities: Setting the Context for Change 5

Introduction 6

Growing Public Concern 8

Radically Changing Employment Landscape 37

Expanding Learner Base and Changing Learner Needs 53

Conclusion 65

References 66

2 Leveraging Complexity: Illuminating Compelling Outcomes 88

Introduction 89

Address the World’s Political, Economic, and Social Challenges 93

Reflect the Human Experience and Imagining the Future 98

Respond to Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity (VUCA) 100

Engage a Multigenerational and Multicultural Workforce 104

Continue to Learn in a Workplace Environment 110

Take Control of Their Own Career Development 113

Learn to Work in Human-Robot Partnerships 116

Navigate Access to Expanding Information 123

Become Responsible Citizens of Their Country and the World 128

Design Lives That Achieve Balance, Fulfillment, and Well-Being 131

Conclusion 134

References 136

3 Discovering Possibilities: Designing for the Future 147

Introduction 148

Broaden Perspective 149

Leverage What We Know about How People Learn 162

Change Strategies and Seize Opportunities 168

Align People, Processes, Structures, and Technology 222

Conclusion 234

References 235

4 Charting a Path Forward: Getting Us from Here to There 251

Introduction 251

Embrace Disruption with an Innovative Mindset 253

Employ Systems Thinking 256

Engage Design Thinking 261

Create Skunk Works: An Organizational Approach to Innovation 264

Break the Cycle That Perpetuates Socioeconomic Gaps of Access and Success 266

Reduce Administrative Redundancies 268

Lessen Noise to Enhance Mobility 270

Nurture Transformational Leadership 272

Conclusion 276

References 278

Index 285

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