Report Brief
What Americans Think About Higher Education
PURPOSE
This report discusses the findings of a national poll of public opinion
conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Educatio in 2003. The American
public is more than satisfied with the quality of higher education. However,
the public dislikes several things about colleges and universities,
including the priorities of presidents, affirmative action, tenure, and
big-time athletics.
KEY POINTS FROM THE REPORT
- According to respondents, the most important role for a college is
to prepare undergraduates for careers
- College presidents comment that the public does not truly understand
things like tenure, affirmative action, and research
- Lawmakers believe that colleges have lost their way when it comes to
teacher education, tenure, political diversity among faculty members, and
what the public wants
- 3 in 5 people think it is important for colleges to offer a broad-based
education to undergraduates
- 63% of people think that colleges should help elementary and secondary
schools teach children better
- Half of Americans believe that a four-year degree is essential to
success, and responses were influenced by age and race
- 82% of Asian Americans believe a degree is essential
versus 48% of whites, 60% of African Americans, and 59% of Hispanics
- 39% of people born before 1940 believe a four-year degree is essential
versus 62% of those born after 1970
- Most people think that the quality of higher education in their states
is at least good, with many ranking it high or very high
- Confidence in community colleges is increasing
- 41% of respondents believe that the quality of private colleges is
better despite the fact that 8 in 10 college students attend public schools;
2 out of 5 people believe that in general, the quality of education at
publics and privates is about the same
- 53% of Americans believe it is more difficult to be admitted into a
four-year college than it was ten years ago
- The public more accurately estimates the cost of college than it did in
the late 1990s
- Two-thirds of Americans believe that students should pay the largest
share of a college education
- The biggest criticisms of colleges involve the publics perceptions that
colleges are playing politics or unfairly favor some groups of students over
others
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Some groups, such as the American Council on Education (ACE), hope that
positive poll results like these will encourage the federal government to
take a hands-off approach with higher education. Also, they hope that
lawmakers steer clear of strict accountability measures for higher
education, like the No Child Left Behind Act for elementary and secondary
education. In addition, the report quotes several higher education leaders
as stating that the public does not truly understand some components of
higher education, such as the way in which tenure works or the value of
affirmative action and how it is actually used. No specific recommendation
is offered, but the message that higher education needs to do a better job
of explaining itself to the public can not be ignored.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Three small articles are included within this article, all of which use
data from the same poll:
Public Colleges Emphasize Research, but the Public Wants a Focus on
Students (by Sara Hebel)
- This article discusses the gap between what the public wants from
its universities and the goals of state leaders. The public believes that
the top roles of colleges are to prepare undergraduates for careers, provide
education to adults so they qualify for better jobs, help elementary and
high schools do a better job of teaching children, and offer a broad-based
general education. Leaders of public colleges tend to emphasize their
schools abilities to stimulate economic growth, however. Some leaders
believe that the publics views are outdated, and that institutions must
assume broader roles of helping states expand their economies. Other leaders
would like to pay more attention to priorities beyond economic development,
but feel obliged to embrace state priorities, especially during budget
crunches. Furthermore, some leaders highlight ways to help states economies
in addition to research programs, such as by assisting adults with degree
completion. This article sheds light on the complexities of these issues,
and the different perspectives influencing the debate.
Families See Plentiful Options and Tough Choices on Paying for College
(by Eric Hoover)
- This article highlights the financial considerations of students
and their families during the college search process. Many Americans believe
that the more something costs, the more valuable it is, which holds true for
the perception of private colleges. Many students apply to both public and
private colleges, and struggle with decisions when finances come into
play.
Sports as the Universitys Front Porch? The Public is Skeptical (by Welch
Suggs)
- Only 35% of poll respondents said that college sports are somewhat
or very important for colleges, and more than three-quarters believe that
athletes are not held to the same academic performance standards as other
students. One college president states that the results are sobering and
indicate that the base of support for athletics tends to be driven more by
dollar value than by any underlying commitment by the public. Despite the
debate about the role of college athletics on campus and in the community,
however, the bottom line is that colleges are only responsible to a small
subset of the public trustees. At most Division I schools, at least a few
trustees have significant interest in promoting athletics, and given the
publics significant interest in some sports, such as football and mens
basketball, emphasis on athletics is unlikely to change.
REFERENCE
Selingo, J. (2003, May 3). What Americans think about higher education.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, pp. A10-A17.
Submitted by Leah Ewing Ross, March 2004. This is a report summary and
excerpts are quoted directly from the text.
