The Problem(s) with Higher Education and 3 Ways to Begin Fixing Them

Photo Credit: Carroll College

Tuition, academics, time management, unavailable professors, and homesickness. These are just some of the problems students face when entering college. They cover the general basics and don’t even touch the institutionalized discrimination underserved minority students face on a regular basis. Unless you’re white, male, cis-gendered, straight, and Christian, the higher education system is designed to set you up for failure. Clearly this is an issue when students sink hundreds of thousand of dollars into their education, but their institution hinders their ability to complete it. This not only raises student debt numbers but also lowers quality of life after college.

If there is seemingly such a large number of issues plaguing today’s college freshmen, why aren’t institutions doing anything about them? Granted, how institutions deal with their students vary by type of university, location, and student makeup. However, much research suggests that underserved populations have transitionary issues specifically in Predominantly White research institutions (PWI). As someone who works in the Provost’s Office at one of those PWIs, I do not have a hard time believing this research. So what can college administrators do to fix these transition problems, particularly among underserved populations?

1. Recognize, value, and cherish our differences as people. Students who feel their cultures aren’t completely disregarded are bound to find enjoyment in their higher education experiences. Programming that celebrates cultures beyond food and music can create a more welcoming environment for all students.

2. Seek endowment funding that allows for support centers and mental health support. Without a doubt, lack of funding plagues aspects of universities crucial to students’ mental health support. Although academic and athletic endowments serve critical purposes in universities, more efforts should be made to seek funding for services that will enable students to have more positive experiences during their transition to college.

3. Hire a more diverse faculty and staff. When students see authority figures that look like them, they will find the spaces around them more inviting, find people they can turn to for help, and trust that their time at university is worth it. Furthermore, a more diverse faculty and staff will encourage a dialogue that yields more positive results for all types of students.

Small steps can be taken in the short term to make transition problems for students in higher education less prominent. By taking these steps, administrators can then start developing strategic plans for more inclusive environments in the long term, which ultimately makes their students happier and prevents the massive amount of student debt and time wasted when unhappy students drop out of college.

References

Museus, S. D., Shiroma, K., & Dizon, J. P. (2016). Cultural community connection and college success: An examination of southeast Asian American college students. Journal of College Student Development, 57(5), 485-502. 10.1353/csd.2016.0064