Financial Aid

Financial aid has become a hot topic in higher education because of rising tuition and the high rate of defaults on student loans. The federal government is encouraging colleges and universities to focus on ways to reduce costs, while at the same time reforming the financial aid system so that a college education becomes more accessible to the economically disadvantaged. The first step for students needing assistance is the completion of a Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA). This initiates a determination of a student's eligibility for grants and low-interest student loans. The problem is that the application process can be cumbersome, and there are deadlines for completion that require advanced planning. As any of us in higher education know, many students fail to plan ahead. Another issue is the tendency for students to borrow the maximum amount for which they are eligible, creating a burden of debt that can take years to pay off - thus the high rates of default. Lenders can be very aggressive in their marketing to students, further encouraging indebtedness. Scholarships are the preferred method of obtaining money for college, and their are many, many sources of scholarship funds. However, most are for small amounts. Students hoping to rely on scholarships must spend a large amount of time searching for appropriate sources and submitting applications. This task often proves too daunting for all but the most talented and determined of students.
So what's the answer? Given the importance of higher education to our economic development, should the federal government underwrite college for all qualified students? There is little support for this solution, as it suggests a level of socialism that most U.S. citizens would not endorse. I believe that what is at stake is too important to be ignored. How do we make a college education accessible to those most in need and least prepared to pursue it?

The Freshman Experience

Remembering back (waaay back) to my own freshman experience at a large state university, I can easily understand why some students never make it past their freshman year. I was a first-generation college student, and felt very much like a fish out of water. I had no frame of reference to prepare me, nor any real notion of what I wanted to accomplish. I started out as an honors student, having earned straight As in high school, and ended up six years and several majors later with an indifferent GPA and an odd collection of credits that finally added up to a degree. That I finished at all was probably owed to the fact that I really had no other desirable alternatives.
So what can be done to make the transition from home to college less bewildering and more productive? Many colleges and universities have implemented freshman experience courses, under various labels. These courses typically blend content such as study skills, time management, college life orientation, career assessment, and so on. Higher ed professsionals who implement such courses are faced with decisions such as, should the course be required? Should it be required for all students or just those who have no prior college experience? What should be the background of those teaching the course? Can it be offered online? Should it be a course for credit or simply an orientation?
The company Noel-Levitz has an assessment called the College Student Inventory. This tool enables students who take it to see a profile of themselves and characteristics that will either facilitate or present barriers to their success in college. Could advising professionals use the results of such an assessment to 'case manage' students with multiple barriers and target support services for them? What about mentoring? Would freshman students benefit from having a mentor to support them throughout that pivotal first year? Should the mentor be a peer student or a faculty or staff member who can help them navigate the confusing red tape of college bureaucracies?

Integrated Curriculum

I have held the belief for some time that formal degree programs at colleges and universities would be more cohesive, and perhaps more meaningful to students, if curricula were integrated. This would mean that faculty would collaborate with each other to help students see the connections between disciplines such as English composition and literature, mathematics, the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and so on. It may be that integration is only feasible for the general education portion of any degree program. If so, perhaps colleges and universities should require completion of the general education program first before students move on to their major studies. By so doing, connections have been established and foundations laid.
But maybe this is a pipe dream. There are many things that pose barriers. Students transfer between institutions; they stop out and return. Their studies are rarely an uninterrupted flow at the same college. Faculty collaboration is hindered by the already cumbersome demands on their time. Colleges and universities would have to provide the administrative support and infrastructure to facilitate integration of curriculum.
So readers, what do you think? Is there value to an integrated curriculum? Would it lead to a better educational experience? Should students be required to complete their general education program first? Can it be done, and should it be done?

Service Learning

For my first post, I'd like to explore the topic of service learning. Many colleges and universities have programs where students participate in volunteer activities at agencies in the surrounding community. Some require a certain number of hours of community service. Some tie in this volunteer experience to classes so that students can earn credit while volunteering. For some, it is extra-curricular. How effective are such programs? Do they produce the desired result of making students more aware of service needs in their communities; or making them more likely to continue volunteering? What makes for a successful service learning program? Should such programs be required of all students?
From a student's perspective: What do you think of the idea of being required to perform service in your community as part of your college experience? If you participated in service learning, what did you think of the experience?
From a faculty member's perspective: What do you think about incorporating a service experience into your course content? Do you think it adds value to the learning experience? Can it be done for all disciplines? Do you have any objections to the idea?