Structural Challenges in Higher Education
A 2024 report from ACE shows the growing racial achievement gap for all post secondary education outcomes. Currently, I am working on various SSS Grants (the deadline was moved up) but am lamenting that the programmed interventions do not seem to be working in mitigating the gaps effectively across all groups. A few weeks ago, a report for the Tennessee Higher Ed commission was released with results that I suspect mirror the above report. The time has come to address some of the structural components of higher ed that are foundational to these outcomes and have honest "conversations" regarding what may be necessary for the academy if it is honestly dedicated to the success for all groups of students.
Unfortunately, the added burden of inflammatory and detrimental rhetoric in state houses and at the federal level is not aiding in lessening these gaps but is instead exacerbating the issue.
As an aside, for-profit colleges are currently the largest purveyors of degrees for African American students by percentage, often at a higher cost and thus a higher debt burden. I equate this to the outcomes of the K-12 voucher scheme. For-profit schools claim to generate 'better' outcomes for African Americans, as measured by degrees conferred, but at what cost? Larger debt burden; minimal impact to job prospects and arguably, and potentially monetarily incentivized policies to maintain access to federal funds through student retention. Note: I am not disparaging all student achievements in for-profit institutions but am highlighting the profit-seeking mandate of these institutions—profit is their primary reason for existing.
