College and university leaders feeling the pressure from skeptical students, policymakers and the general public on today’s incendiary campus climate and the value of a degree can take a deep breath following a pair of reports released this past week. Researchers at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce and Ithaka S+R, respectively, have concluded the nation’s most secure jobs will require at least a four-year degree over the next decade and that most instructors don’t feel unsafe discussing sensitive topics in class.
Another nice tidbit: A report by Tallo, a support service for young professionals, found that 61% of college students plan on finding a job close to where they attended college once they graduate.
College degrees reign high through 2031
Researchers at the Center on Education and the Workforce found that most “good” jobs—those that come with a median salary of $74,000 in 2022—will require bachelor’s degrees or higher by 2031. Overall, 66% of all good jobs available to the U.S. workforce will require a college diploma by 2031, and roughly eight out of 10 jobs available to bachelor’s earners will meet this earnings threshold. Conversely, the pool of jobs offering similar perks to workers with only a high school diploma will decline.
“Policymakers, educators and industry leaders should both promote bachelor’s and graduate degree programs and support completion of some form of postsecondary education and training among as many students as possible,” the report reads.
With non-degree undergraduate credentials on the rise, the number of workers on the “middle-skills pathway” is also expected to increase by 2031, strengthening the value proposition of community colleges and workforce development programs.
Professors are relaxed in the classroom
Instructors surveyed by Ithaka S+R found that the vast majority of do not avoid teaching DEI, LGBTQIA+ issues, climate change and other sensitive topics in class. Of the roughly 5,200 faculty members who completed the survey, one in five avoided speaking about conflict in the Middle East, abortion and contraception.
Furthermore, 32% of instructors claim they don’t face challenges to academic freedom and do not need support in this regard. Among those who do, 31% are looking for frameworks or direct support for engaging students constructively on sensitive issues, and 30% need support advocating for academic freedom.
“This suggests that, for most faculty, intellectual life on campus is carrying on as usual and concerns about academic freedom free-speech, and self-censorship remain just that: concerns,” researcher Ioana Hulbert and senior analyst Ess Pokornowski write.
2U files for bankruptcy
2U, the popular online program manager, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of last week. The edtech platform bet big three years ago when it purchased edX from MIT and Harvard for $800 million to help better support colleges deliver online degree and non-degree offerings. Despite its expansion, it also racked up a significant debt load, endured student-waged lawsuits and waded through legal trouble with the Department of Education.
The company is claiming it as a strategic move to strengthen its balance sheet and reposition itself for future growth. By reverting to a private company, 2U will decrease its debt load by 50% and open up $110 million for future capital, according to a press release. It has partnered with nearly 300 colleges since 2008 and is promising its restructuring won’t affect the student learning experience.
In a strange twist of events, 2U’s stock has also surged by more than 100% since declaring for bankruptcy, InvestorPlace reports.
Judge lets Title IX move forward in four states
More than half of all U.S. states have pushed back against President Biden’s Title IX mandate set to take place this week. While the federal regulation has been successfully blocked in 22 states, an Alabama judge has struck down an attempt to add four more to the list. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina will have to comply following the judge’s decision, The Florida Phoenix reports.
Oklahoma has become the most recent state to block the ruling, KOSU reports.
