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The Hindu
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Reimagining higher education: Ecosystem approach can revive enrollment in basic sciences
With an enrollment of more than 41 million students, India has been recognized as the world's second largest post-secondary education system (after China). In the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP), the Government of India projects to increase the enrollment rate to 50%, from its current 27.3%, by 2035. To achieve this goal, India will have to add around 34 million students to the system. South India has been facing a decline in enrollment in Mathematics and Basic Sciences progressively. This can be perceived as due to emerging trends that view the tertiary education space from a utilitarian perspective. If such a notion persists, though, there would be closure of such programmes at many institutions. However, admissions to Engineering programmes (having allied Mathematics as an integral part) in ranked institutions is still progressing well. This indicates that learning Mathematics in isolation as a major subject has been declining owing to the lack of an associated professional training component. Starved of tuition revenue, universities and colleges are considering closing down departments. But, is there an alternative framework to reimagine the tertiary education space? Do colleges need to appropriate the perception of millennials concerning curriculum and pedagogical design, which would facilitate their enrollment? Expectations of millennials Doug Shapiro, the Executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center that curates data from the majority of the institutions in the U.S.A. stated in an interview that 'the longer this continues, the more it starts to build its own momentum as a cultural shift and not just a short-term effect of the pandemic disruptions. 'Students are questioning the value of college. They may be looking at friends who graduated last year or the year before who didn't go, and they seem to be doing fine. They're working; their wages are up.' Millennials in general are inclined to pursue entrepreneurship rather than work for someone else. Secondly, value for money through return of investment is another key perception they have. As per a study cited in a March 2024 article by Inside Higher Ed, it is observed that confidence in colleges is falling, and the perceived value of on-the-job training and shorter-term licensure or certificate programs is on the rise. Further, a survey conducted by the marketing research firm Edge Research and HCM Strategists, a public policy and advocacy consulting firm funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, noted that although 58% of high schoolers and 51% of non-enrolled adults in 2023 believed 'you must have a college degree to earn a 'good job,'' 69% and 65%, respectively, believed certification is enough. To address this complex issue further, we require a whole-of-tertiary education vision and strategy through a systems-thinking approach rather than cherry-picking populist initiatives. We need to envisage new types of institutions with different missions, programmes and modes of study to meet the demands and needs of this diverse cohort of learners and of society. Consequently, to evolve an institutional model from the perspective of reimagining the arts and Science colleges, we can draw insights from Neil J. Smelser's proposition (UC Berkeley) which describes the modern research university as a 'multi-campus network' of inter-related parts and relationships. It can be interpreted that the entire post-secondary landscape could be envisaged as an 'ecosystem' which offers various types of education including skill development leading to professional certification concerning upskilling and reskilling, adult education, continuing education or even lifelong learning, community engagement, and so on. If the tertiary education space is rendered dynamic in design through an ecosystem model by connecting it with the world of work through an interface in the academic institution, it would perpetuate itself by adapting to the changing context. The ecosystem, as a dynamic space, could be envisaged as a system where the number, type, role and responsibilities of providers, individually and collectively, evolve and modify over time in response to the changing environment. Though the ecosystem providers are diversified, flexible and responsive with distinct missions towards societal and economic changes, there would not be an imbedded hierarchy. An ecosystem approach of tertiary education space will keep co-creating the curriculum and pedagogy as it will be constantly communicating and receiving feedback through community and industry engagement. A real-world application The Madras Christian College has embarked on validating this model through the MCC-MRF Innovation Park, where apart from incubating entrepreneurs as its core vision, the innovation park would also focus on creating centers of excellence in domains mapped with programmes offered on the campus. The proposed Centers of Excellence will keep updating themselves with changes happening in the world of work and creating skilled work forces through upskilling and reskilling. In addition to this, hackathons will be conducted periodically curating pain points from industries and involving interns from the campus. The departments within the college, through their association with the centers of excellence, would in turn be sensitized continuously, leading to a dynamic equilibrium between the world of work and the world of education through the interface known as the Innovation Park. If established industries have reservations in setting up their centers at higher education institutions, then budding start-ups would emerge as an alternative option for industry engagement and transform the tertiary education landscape. (Dr. Paul Wilson is currently serving as the Principal and Secretary of Madras Christian College, Chennai, India)
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Vast Majority of U.S. States See More Students Who Had Stopped Out of College Now Re-Enrolling
New Report Finds that, for the 2nd Year in a Row, Fewer Americans Are Stopping Out, More Returning to College HERNDON, VA / ACCESS Newswire / June 4, 2025 / The number of students leaving college without earning a credential - or 'stopping out' - has declined for the second year in a row, reports the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, released today, also found that more students who had previously stopped out are re-enrolling. During the 2023-24 academic year, 42 states and the District of Columbia saw increases in re-enrollment compared to the previous year, ranging from a 0.7 percent increase in Washington, DC, to a 35.2 percent increase in Massachusetts. 'It is inspiring to see that over one million adults returned to campuses last year-the most we've ever recorded,' said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. 'They're reviving college aspirations that had been put on hold years before. And states and institutions are working to make it even easier for more students to do so in the future.' Nearly all higher education institution sectors saw fewer stopouts between January 2022 and July 2023 compared to the same period a year earlier-except for private for-profit four-year institutions and primarily online institutions, which saw increases of 17.7% and 1.7%, respectively. Total population of 'some college, no credential' Americans is still growing: Despite the promising trends in the re-enrollments, there are still nearly 43.1 million American adults stopped out of college without a credential, according to the new report. Of these, 37.6 million are under age 65 and of typical working age. Moreover, the total population of working age adults with some college and no credential grew 2.2 percent in the year ending July 2023, as the 2.1 million students who were newly stopped out far outpaced those 'some college, no credential' students re-enrolling in the 2022-23 academic year and the number of those aging out of the working-age population. Some students benefit from policies that award credentials for past credits: Each year, about 1 in 4 of those in the 'some college, no credential' population who earn a first credential do so without re-enrolling. While the data does not identify causes, these credential earners may be the beneficiaries of policies that remove administrative barriers to completion or award credentials based on the number of credits already earned in the past, such as Colorado's new Colorado Re-Engaged (CORE) initiative. The CORE initiative allows public four-year institutions to award associate degrees to those who stopped out in the last decade with 70 credit hours. This year's report finds that, despite having the twentieth-largest 'some college, no credential' population, Colorado had the seventh-highest number of first credential earners this year (2,100, +1,200 from 2022-23), boosted by associate degrees earned by 'some college, no credential' individuals who did not need to re-enroll. The Some College, No Credential report was created with the support of Lumina Foundation. About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™ The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit CONTACT: National Student Clearinghouse [email protected] SOURCE: National Student Clearinghouse press release
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC community college enrollment climbs
CHARLOTTE, N.C. () – Student enrollment at community colleges is on the rise, and growth at North Carolina-based institutions outpaces the national average. New data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center suggests undergraduate enrollment is up across the board, but community colleges saw the largest increase from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025 (5.4%). Overall post-secondary enrollment rose 3.2%, translating to 562,000 students. The report estimates the U.S. now has a total of 18.4 million students pursuing graduate or undergraduate degrees. Charlotte teen finishes in top 4 at Scripps National Spelling Bee Community college enrollment in North Carolina jumped 8.3% since Spring 2024. Governor Josh Stein advocated for increased investment in community college and targeted training programs through his proposed budget in April. 'My budget proposes providing free community college to students pursuing credentials in high-demand industries,' Stein said. 'I'm also proposing we expand apprenticeships in state government to recruit and retain talent to serve the public and establish a rural apprenticeship program to connect small businesses and farmers to apprentices.' The General Assembly allocated $1.5 billion for the North Carolina Community College System in 2023. The proposed House budget allocates $1.7 billion for the next two fiscal years, while the proposed Senate budget allocates $1.8 billion for NCCCS. The state's total enrollment across education sectors remains lower than pre-pandemic enrollment. 2025 data shows 2.3% fewer students than in 2020. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNBC
29-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
In the battle between Trump and Harvard, trade schools may be an unlikely winner
In the escalating standoff between Harvard University and the White House, trade schools could come out on top. As part of a broader crackdown at the nation's wealthiest and most elite Ivy League schools, President Donald Trump recently signaled that he would divert funds from Harvard to financially support vocational training. "I am considering taking THREE BILLION DOLLARS of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land," Trump posted on Monday on Truth Social. It's unclear how the president's plan might work, and there would be many obstacles associated with redirecting federal funding. But the president's comments underscore a changing perspective around alternative career pathways. In an interview on CNBC Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, "the paradigm, looking at education, is shifting." "More adults, who are looking to upskill, are looking at different programs — two-year or short-term programs," McMahon said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "We believe there are other ways to train people to make a good living for their families in this country, and maybe not go into the debt of four-year universities." More from Personal Finance: Harvard students are 'frantic,' college consultant saysWage garnishment for defaulted student loans to beginIs college still worth it? It is for most, but not all The rising cost of college and ballooning student loan balances have played a large role in changing views about the higher education system. Overall, college enrollment is still climbing, but largely driven by gains at community colleges as more students choose shorter-term credentials at a lower cost. Undergraduate enrollment increased across the major institutional sectors this spring. However, community colleges notched the largest uptick, rising 5% year over year, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Undergraduate certificate program enrollment also jumped from a year ago, and is now up 20% since 2020. "This is great news for community colleges, and especially for those with strong vocational programs," said Doug Shapiro, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's executive director. "Four-year colleges can also feel good about higher numbers of undergraduates this spring, but their growth rates are slower." Increasingly, high school students are questioning whether a four-year degree is worth it. Roughly 42% of high school students say they are pivoting to technical and career training or credentialing, or are planning to enroll in a local and less-expensive community college or in-state public school, according to a separate survey of 1,000 seniors, juniors and sophomores by the College Savings Foundation. That's up from 37% last year. A shortage of skilled tradespeople, due to experienced workers aging out of the field, is also boosting the number of job opportunities and pay in those roles. "Career programs at community colleges provide students with accessible, affordable and accredited credentials and certificates that lead to jobs in their local communities and in the global economy," said Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. "In President Trump's first term we were able to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor to increase the number of apprenticeship programs and services across the nation, garnering 22,000 registered apprentices across 633 occupations, illustrating what is possible when we harness the power of partnering with the nation's community colleges," Bumphus said in an email. However, as lower-income students increasingly choose to attend community colleges or career training programs, there may be consequences for their longer-term financial standing, other reports show. Attending college once provided a similar wage premium for students regardless of their parents' financial standing, but that's changed in recent years, according to a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research. As "lower-income students have been disproportionately diverted into community and for-profit colleges," their return on investment has suffered, the report found: "Higher-income students now derive greater average observational value from going to college than the lower-income students." In other words, despite efforts to improve college access, wealthier students, who are more likely to enroll in four-year schools, get a bigger payoff. Meanwhile, getting an Ivy League degree has a "statistically insignificant impact" on future earnings, according to a 2023 report by Harvard University-based nonpartisan, nonprofit research group Opportunity Insights based on admissions data from several private and public colleges. Even attending a college in the "Ivy-plus" category — which typically includes other top schools like Stanford University, Duke University, the University of Chicagoand Massachusetts Institute of Technologyrather than a highly selective public institution, has benefits, the report found. It nearly doubles the chances of going on to an elite graduate school and triples the chances of working at a prestigious firm. Further, it increases students' chances of ultimately reaching the top 1% of the earnings distribution by 60%, the Opportunity Insights report found. "Highly selective private colleges serve as gateways to the upper echelons of society," the group of Harvard and Brown University-based economists who authored the report said. "Because these colleges currently admit students from high-income families at substantially higher rates than students from lower-income families with comparable academic credentials, they perpetuate privilege."
Forbes
09-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
How To Build A Certificate Program Workers Actually Want In 6 Steps
How To Build A Certificate Program Workers Actually Want In 6 Steps Certificate programs are everywhere now. Universities, tech companies, even influencers are offering them. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), more students earned a certificate in 2023 than in any of the previous 10 years. But some of them feel like a letdown. You sign up hoping to gain something practical and maybe even transformational. Instead, you get recorded interviews, awkward discussion boards, and assignments that seem pulled from a high school workbook. If it is not going to challenge, inspire, or genuinely teach something useful, why are learners paying thousands of dollars? I recently completed a certificate course at a major university and found myself increasingly frustrated. The content was limited to recorded interviews and materials that offered little beyond what I could have found through a quick search. What made it worse was that the course released content one week at a time. I had to wait for each new section to open, even though I could have completed the entire program in a few days. Dragging it out made the experience feel like an attempt to justify the high cost. I kept thinking: I could have learned this with a few well-phrased prompts or YouTube tutorials. How Are Certificate Programs Different From University Courses? I have developed quite a bit of curriculum throughout my career for many different universities, online platforms, and even Forbes. Much of what universities do is create a template with course learning outcomes (aka what you want people to learn by the end of the course) and align assignments to reach those goals. It is not that different to write a certificate program. A college course is typically part of a degree program, focused on academic learning and theoretical foundations, often taught over several weeks for credit. A certificate program is designed to teach a specific skill or outcome, usually in a shorter, more flexible format geared toward working professionals. A college course teaches you why something matters, while a certificate program shows you how to do it. So, I thought it might be interesting to write an article that is a mini certificate program on how to build a certificate program. For this example, let's assume you want to create an emotional intelligence trainer certificate. The steps below apply to nearly any professional certification, whether you're building it as a consultant, a university, or a learning and development leader. Step One: Start With The Learner's Goal In The Certificate Program Step Two: Map The Milestones In The Certificate Program Step Three: Choose The Right Format For The Certificate Program Step Four: Build Assignments That Add Value To The Certificate Program Step Five: Test The Certificate Program Like A Product Step Six: Market The Outcome Of The Certificate Program What Learners And Employers Want From A Certificate Program Learners want clear results, a practical toolkit, a sense of progress, and content they cannot find with a quick search. Many do not want delayed access, forced discussions, or assignments that serve no clear purpose. Certificates only matter to employers if they lead to real skill-building. Can the learner apply what they have learned? Can they show the presentation, workshop, or framework they created, not just a digital badge. Did they solve a relevant problem? For example, they helped improve team communication through an emotional intelligence training they designed. Did they take initiative to grow in a specific direction? Certification should be a proactive approach to professional development. A Final Thought For Anyone Creating A Certificate Program A good certificate program is about leveling up. If someone pays a premium, they should walk away with something they could not have learned from a free video or generic course. Whether you are a university, an entrepreneur, or a training leader, the ultimate test is this: Can your learners do something new, useful, and relevant because of your course? If the answer is yes, you are building something that truly gives value.
