Access Denied: The Barriers are Adaptive, Not Technical, in Higher Education
I recently found an article discussing the need for more agile higher education systems in a well-known publication. It struck me how some institutions often overlook the practical challenges students face.
Yes, finances are a big deal, but when you're dealing with unreliable transportation, holding down two part-time jobs that don't sync, and living in a multi-generational home with caregiving responsibilities, the immediate problems are what you're worried about. The immediate priorities are having a car, getting help at home, and paying the bills sitting on the kitchen counter not the 4-year degree that could end in a job in 2027.
In today's ever-changing higher education landscape, we encounter complex challenges, especially for prospective students looking for better economic and social prospects.
While the cost of education is a significant concern, it's not the only one. To address students' barriers, we must consider various challenges, especially access-related ones. And, as I lately have, we’ll apply the lens of adaptive leadership.
Geographic Accessibility
According to a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report in the United States, access to higher education can be constrained by geography. In rural areas, there are often fewer colleges and universities, making attending physical campuses difficult for students who live far away from educational institutions.
Higher education leaders must recognize that these challenges are often not purely technical but deeply rooted in stakeholders' values, beliefs, and loyalties. We must understand the diverse perspectives and motivations of students, faculty, and staff to tackle geographic barriers effectively. It's not just about finding a technical fix; it's about navigating the complex web of attitudes and values that underlie these issues.
Online Access
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significance of online access to education. Pew Research Center's data from 2021 reveals that 31% of adults in the United States with household incomes below $30,000 a year (the discussion about minimum wage is for another article) do not own a smartphone, and 44% need broadband internet at home. This digital chasm, not divide, makes it challenging for low-income individuals to access online resources for education.
Addressing broadband disparities will stir up intense emotions among stakeholders. Roundtables about access can evoke strong feelings - "We're doing our best, what do you expect?" or "It's XYZ's fault broadband isn’t readily available." Higher education leaders must be skilled at creating safe spaces for open and empathetic dialogue, allowing these emotions to surface and be processed constructively. It’s about intentionally creating emotional engagement over dispassionate analysis to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges and a better chance at finding groundbreaking solutions.
Socioeconomic Barriers
Moreover, socioeconomic factors significantly influence access to higher education. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) highlights that high application fees, standardized testing costs, and other expenses can deter low-income students from pursuing higher education.
Simply imposing technical solutions like discounting test costs or application fees won't effectively address systemic challenges. Leaders must engage with the adaptive aspects, such as understanding why certain students face socioeconomic barriers and how they interact with those daily struggles. It's going beyond technical fixes to address the underlying issues and collaboratively developing solutions with that student at the center of the discussion (and egos parked offsite).
Cultural and Socioeconomic Obstacles
Cultural and socioeconomic factors can also pose significant barriers to enrollment and success in higher education. A study published in the Journal of College Student Development points out that these factors may include family expectations, a lack of role models, and a sense of not belonging on campus.
We have to be attuned to the gap between what institutions say they value and their actual behavior. Leaders must align institutional values with concrete actions to mitigate cultural and socioeconomic obstacles. If an institution values diversity and inclusion, it will ensure that these values are not just slogans but reflected in policies, practices, and resource allocation, effectively addressing cultural and socioeconomic obstacles.
It’s about rolling up our sleeves and tackling the real, underlying, messy problems head-on, with the student at the center of the discussion. It’s about understanding what makes students tick, what keeps them up at night, and what dreams they’re chasing.
And when that’s done - when we combine a relentless student-centric approach with adaptive leadership principles - transformation happens. Access happens.