Purpose Of Higher Education

People attend college or university for several reasons, including exploring hundreds of career opportunities, pursuing their passions, learning critical thinking skills, and achieving their maximum potential. According to Dr. Richard Vedder’s, “For Many, College Isn’t Worth It”, attending college or university is not worth the time, effort, or money – Dr. Richard Vedder wants to solely focus resources on private universities and institutions. Vedder describes how many graduates with Bachelor’s degrees do not even obtain jobs in their specific field and how they will never start a career in their area of academic study. In his article, Richard Vedder describes how there should be more stringent standards placed on college undergraduates; he believes that public universities are not necessary and only private, more elite universities should remain operational. I personally believe that obtaining a college degree from an accredited university is worth the risk and the money, not only for one’s self but for society as a whole. Instead of shutting down undergraduate universities, we should consider raising collegiate admission standards throughout the nation.

“What Is College For” by Andrew Delbanco, shows the need for both a universal college system; one which caters for all of society, and one which provides a liberal education. Delbanco gives many reasoned thoughts on how, and why the college system has become restricted, to purely those of a higher socio-economic background, rather than being exclusive to people of all backgrounds. The idea of college being a platform for people to learn, advance their skills, and become whatever they want to be has seemingly diminished over time. The ideas in favor of such an educational system are put forward, but they are foreshadowed in my opinion, by the notion that people should have the same educational opportunities in life; regardless of their economic or social background. A universal education system is needed for our society to prosper, especially if it provides a liberal education; this is not just for the individuals that make up a community, but for the community, as a whole.

The rising cost of college tuition and student debt is a necessary evil. Many students will gladly undertake the burden of having debt in order to attain what they seek the most, a college degree. A college degree is a prestigious accomplishment; a testament to a student’s iron will. It stands as a symbolic achievement, carrying the hopes and dreams of the families who didn’t have the opportunity to continue their education. Even if the United States manages to implement free college tuition and eliminate student debt, the value of a degree shouldn’t be undervalued.

Traditional colleges catered to the elite—supporting the development of a cultured clergy and social class—and were not particularly concerned about addressing the educational needs of the ‘productive professions’ such as business, farming, and engineering; while the early for-profit colleges responded to these economic needs by “providing students with opportunities and alternatives for gaining education and training” (Ruch,

There were two periods in history of upheavel in American higher education they were “catastrophic angst.” The first was in the 1860’s the emergence of modern university. Then after World War II the second was invention of mass higher education. The United State evolved a diversity of large and small, public and private colleges

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, among many other well educated people, all had a higher education that led them all to be successful. Education in America was founded in the early nineteenth century, thanks in part to Thomas Jefferson. Despite political and religious views, an education system was put into place after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Many of the students that attended school were primarily wealthy, however, ¬¬¬ by 1918, going to a public school became law. Immigrants,

Some important legislative moves to make higher education available all started back in time. We would not have had colleges established if it was not for the vision of Justin Smith Morrill, in which the two Morrill Land Grants are established after. With this acts established federal funding, was provided for public institutions of higher education, and the land in which was provide to fund for college ground break.

Although the present role of higher education is contested, its origins aren’t. Higher education in the US was created as a way to maintain class distinctions. The old Puritan model of the American university was a religious haven for students of wealthy families who attended in order to become clergymen. Graduates would then move on to becoming leaders in other branches of the church, thereby leading their own communities and essentially generating essentially an upper class of ministers. Though the religious presence at these institutions has largely diminished, the overwhelming presence of students of primarily wealthy backgrounds remains as non-profit colleges still consist of, on average, 70% students of middle-income and above (DOE,

Historically change has been vital in the emergence of American higher education. John Thelin (2011) expresses "The single most change in American higher education at the end of the 19th century was that college going became fashionable and prestigious" (p. 156). Prior to WWII, the public romanticized college going as a means to promote social mobility. Throughout the evolution of higher education, individuals ' views transitioned from fascination to fear. A sense of fear was instilled in students as they became aware colleges were not exempt from violence. The transition-inspired legislation of the Clery Act, which puts practices into place to create safe communities. Has regulation of the Clery Act benefited student populations? Do higher education institutions exclude certain populations by complying with the act? Throughout this paper, I will address these questions and critically analyze the Clery Acts significance within higher education.

An Overview of American Higher Education (Baum, 2013) focuses on the evolving definition of a “college” over the past fifty years. Over this time period, colleges have made changes from focusing on academia discipline to job preparation (Baum, 2013). The expected length of time to obtain a college degree as change as well. The term college encompasses four-year tracks, community colleges, certificate programs and half-time attendance, where a degree can be achieved at your own pace. In the 1960s America’s competitive edge was declining on a national scale and this encouraged a push for a more educated America. Furthermore, the expanding variety of post-secondary education opportunities grew from the idea that access to higher education should be more available, finically and geographically, to the population (Baum, 2013).

“About 19.9 million students were enrolled in college and universities in 2013, compared to about 13.5 million in 1990, about 7.9 million in 1970, and about 2.7 million in 1949” (After Recent Upswing, College Enrollment Declines, Census Bureau Reports). A college education after graduating high school is extremely crucial to one’s life because it determines their future. The discussion about whether a college education is worth it or not has dated back to the time when the colonists came to America from Europe. The colonists founded “New College”, which was later later renamed to Harvard University. Colonial America produced nine colleges that still prevail to this day and are some of the most prestigious colleges in America. Harvard University, College of William and Mary, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Rutgers University, and University of Pennsylvania are the nine main colleges that colonial America has composed. With about 19.9 million United States college students in 2013, and average student debt over $26,500, the discourse about the importance about a college education still continues to this day.

Although the present role of higher education is hotly contested, its origins aren’t. Higher education in the US was created as a way to maintain class distinctions. The old European derived model of the American university was not the center of liberal intellectual curiosity it has evolved to today, but rather a religious haven for students of wealthy families who attended in order to become clergymen. Though the religious presence at these institutions has largely diminished, the overwhelming presence of students of primarily wealthy backgrounds remains. Only recently have colleges, with little avail, attempted to reverse this trend. Non-profit colleges, including two year, four year public, and private colleges are still, on average

Today, colleges and universities have assumed an important role far beyond their role in earlier times. Since the 20th century, economic and social changes have transformed higher education into a primary gateway to the middle-class, providing minorities and women with opportunities to advance against longstanding exclusion from mainstream higher education (Eckel & King, n.d.). Given the change, Americans now view access to higher education as a necessary component of the nation’s ideal as a “land of opportunity” (Eckel & King, n.d.). With this recently developed opportunity, jobs have demanded more knowledgeable and well-trained adults with the skills required to practice in a given profession, manage a wide variety of organizations, and complete an increasing proportion of tasks in a more technologically sophisticated economy (Eckel & King, n.d.; Bok, 2015). The wide spread of higher education opportunities has helped to strengthen America’s democracy by providing its future leaders knowledge and ideas to create new industries, protect us from disease, preserve and enrich our culture, and inform us about our history, our environment, our society, and ourselves (Bok, 2015).

The introduction to the American Higher Education system, takes us to the colonial era under the “Oxbridge Model.” Colonial American’s brought their determination to “transplant” the English idea of an undergraduate education as a “civilized experience” filled with “progressive” for “responsible leaders” of both “church and state” (Schuh and et al, 2010, Page Four). Interestingly enough, student responses to food living conditions were a top complaint during this period and religion was a fabric woven into most colleges who chose to follow a particular denomination (Schuh and et al, 2010, Page Five). Enrollment into college courses was strictly limited to affluent or prosperous social status figures for white males during this time period. College was also seen as a way to maintain that social class mobility, instead of viewing it as a way to move between different social statuses like it was decades later (Schuh and et al, 2010, Page Six).

Without a doubt, today’s purpose of college is to foster student development. However, it’s become unclear with the rising costs of tuition as well as the growing importance of preparation for a job upon graduation. In fact, universities are no longer seen as simply a place of higher education. They are rather professional junctions from which students can become secure jobs and steady income afterward. This is partially due to the fact that graduating high school is no longer seen as an accomplishment and in effect, about 65% of all jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree to be competitive for (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009). However, costs of attending have almost counterintuitively skyrocketed in