Dear Colleagues:

We are witnessing one of the most disruptive periods in the history of U.S. higher education. Federal retreats on research funding, DEI, and data collection will remake the postsecondary landscape in pivotal ways. State education officials justifiably are cautious—uncertain about what the future holds.

The disruption is fueled, in part, by the continued challenges facing our colleges and universities: rising costs, mounting student loan debt, and a growing perception that a postsecondary degree is worth less than the investment required to earn one. This is especially true for those individuals who earned college credit but have no degree or credential.

Although the challenges we face as a sector are significant, there is room for optimism for better days ahead. A couple of months ago, the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center reported an undergraduate enrollment increase of 3.2 percent. This is the second year of growth in undergraduate students—and that growth occurred in every region of the country. Although colleges and universities are not yet at pre-pandemic enrollment levels, they are closing the gap. Special enrollment growth was seen at the nation’s public community colleges. For a third straight year, these two-year institutions enrolled more students than in the previous one. These institutions are generally affordable and geographically accessible; they open the door to college for millions of Americans who might not otherwise have access to postsecondary education and training.

The news is also better regarding the public’s confidence in higher education. Earlier this month, Gallup reports a six-percentage point increase in the number of Americans who have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. Gallup reports that this increase is the first they’ve recorded in a decade. Also important is the finding that the proportion of Americans with “little or no confidence” in higher education declined from 32 percent a year ago to 23 percent. I can appreciate that a one-year marker is not a trend, but this is welcome, nonetheless.

There is also news to celebrate from the recent revision of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, released in April by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The new categorization assesses the extent to which all colleges and universities provide students with education or training that leads to meaningful employment earnings eight years after they left college. The number of institutions that provide authentic postsecondary access and higher earnings after college is significantly greater than those institutions offering lower access and earnings. Yes, there are laggard institutions that are not doing a good job of preparing their students for economic mobility after college, but the number is considerably smaller than what the public may hear from uninformed sources (For more information about this topic, read the blog on our website: Recalibrating our Focus on Student Success: The Project to Revamp the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education Hits a Key Milestones.)

Inarguably, there is ample room for improvement throughout U.S. higher education, a recognition even seen among postsecondary education’s most ardent enthusiasts like me. But our advocacy for improved student outcomes should not undermine our commitment to higher education. If anything, it should galvanize us to advance collectively in strengthening our colleges and universities. All of us entered this work not because we wished to dismantle the battlements that have long defended the best higher education system across the globe; we joined to make it better, especially for students furthest from opportunity. I invite higher education proponents and critics alike to embrace the notion that the road to prosperity—for individuals, communities, and our nation—is fostered by postsecondary education opportunities for all.

Toward this end, I invite us to take the long view, as our students do. Like all things worth doing, it takes time and perseverance. Institutions are providing greater student access, working to boost completion rates, and helping make explicit the connection between a college degree and the world of work. Let us embrace a strategy of continuous improvement, not radical redress. “To lose patience,” said Gandhi, “is to lose the battle.”

Sincerely,

Jacob Fraire

President

ECMC Foundation