Dive Brief:
- A Facebook post from Kansas State University freshman Billy Willson, who is purportedly dropping out of school after declaring higher education useless, has gone viral.
- The student believes he will learn more in his first year as an entrepreneur than he did in his first year at Kansas State, and is seen giving the finger to the university — and the industry in general.
- "You are being put thousands into debt to learn things you will never even use ... Being taught by teacher's [sic] who have never done what they're teaching. Average income has increased 5x over the last 40 years while cost of college has increased 18x," he wrote.
Dive Insight:
Most would dismiss this student's Facebook missive and assume life and experience will prove him wrong. But his points about affordability and value are reflective of the sentiments of many in the general public — and state legislatures — and sum up the challenges facing higher ed quite succinctly.
A cultural shift from the top-down will be required if higher education is to regain its footing and thrive into the next decade. It is incumbent on institutions to go on the offensive and seize control of the narrative surrounding their campuses and the industry at large to avoid injury to higher ed's value.
Many are already heavily reliant upon adjuncts for financial reasons, but it is time to reconsider the adjunct model and supplement tenure or tenure-track positions with professionals from the workforce to ensure current industry practices are reflected in classroom instruction. Stronger pipelines with the workforce will promote not only better lecture series and classroom instruction, but also promote stronger relationships to help boost job opportunities for graduates.