The Small College Advantage

Throughout the course of my career, I have had the unique opportunity to see the full range of higher education offerings. I am a graduate of and worked for a large, flagship state university (Binghamton University), I've worked for a mid-sized Jesuit University (Fairfield University), I've worked for a highly selective private university (Brandeis University), a community college (Quinsigamond Community College), and now a small, private college in my current position at Dean College. The most important lesson I have learned about American higher education through these experiences is that our system of higher education affords students maximum choice to identify the environment that is best suited to their learning needs, and that there is plenty of capacity to serve very different students.

I have also observed that, when the economy suffers, the greatest strength of our system of higher education comes under intense scruiteny. It is too expensive, many will argue, even though all the data points to the fact that net cost has remained fairly constant at private colleges and universities over the last 10 years.  We should be focusing more on-line because it is cheaper, others will say.  However, this argument ignores the fundamental flaws in on-line education, not the least of which is that the majority of high school graduates are not equipped to handle the structure of on-line education.  Finally, and the one that I find most egregious, is the belief (when the economy is weak) that students should opt for more vocational education or pre-professional programs over the liberal arts.  This, in spite of the fact that most leaders in business and industry have come out of the liberal arts tradition.

The group that is most rigorously scrutinized are the small, private colleges.  I understand the argument well.  In my younger days as a newly minted graduate of a public university, I would have been leading the charge.  Why?  Because my perspective then was limited by my own experience.  I hadn’t had the opportunity to see what else higher education had to offer.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved my undergraduate experience, and it was the right one for me.  But what experience teaches is that what is the best for one person is certainly not the best for another.  The reality is that many high school graduates will get lost at a large, public university.  They need the close attention and one-on-one contact that only a small, private college can provide.  This article does a great job of illustrating this point:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-randall/small-colleges_b_2042838.html

The small, liberal arts college is a key cornerstone to our higher education system, a system that is the envy of many in the world – no wonder that far more students flock to the United States to study than leave.  To discount the value of small private colleges for the many students who would benefit most from them is to ignore that which has helped make our nation great.

Presidential Debate - Round 2

As the presidential candidates face off for their second televised debate tonight, check out what my boss, Dean College President Dr. Paula Rooney, has to say about the debate's location in this op ed to the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-paula-m-rooney/town-hall-debate_b_1971331.html

Coke vs. Pepsi

In my capacity as Admissions Dean, I am often asked to sit on panels for parent college information nights at high schools.  Let me tell you that this is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job – it truly allows me the opportunity to give families the real ‘inside scoop’ I know they crave.

Generally, I am asked to talk about the college search process in general and how to choose a college to apply to and ultimately enroll at.  This is certainly a tricky topic as it depends a great deal on your individual metric for evaluating what is the ‘best’ school for a given student.  For a while, I struggled with an accessible way to share my thoughts on the topic.  I have fairly strong feelings in this area, believing that the focus is too often centered on metrics such as admit rate, application volume, GPA and SAT averages, or ‘name’ schools that are easily identifiable by a Division I athletics program.

Then, a couple years ago, I had my one bright idea for the decade (marrying Dr. Wife was the one from the last decade, in case you wondered.)  I realized that selecting a college is a lot like the age old battle of Coke vs. Pepsi.  This realization led to the creation of an exercise which has a dual purpose:  First, it allows folks who have been stuck in rush hour traffic only to be squeezed into the HS auditorium a chance to spread their ways.  Second… well, let me set it up first.

The exercise goes like this.  Everyone stands up.  Then, I ask that you think about a wonderful, hot day at the beach.  You’re thirsty, and you want a soda.  Imagine that you have access to a cooler filled with every possible soda option there is.  You can choose any soda (or cola or pop depending on your preference) that you desire.  Which would you choose?

I think ask everyone that you choose good old fashioned Coke Classic to sit down.  Next, I ask everyone that would choose a plain Pepsi to sit down.  Then, I ask everyone to look around.  Inevitably, when given a choice of any soda option, the Coke Classic and Pepsi contingent add up to about 10% of the audience.  This is the college search.

If Coke represents all flagship public universities (i.e. UMASS Amherst, UCONN Storrs, Binghamton, UNC Chapel Hill, etc.) and Pepsi represents the Top 50 U.S. News Privates (Harvard, Yale, Amherst, etc.), then the vast majority of students are going to school somewhere else.  With almost 4,000 accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. (not to mention universities abroad), you have a lot of options.  The goal is to find the school that will quench YOUR appetites for learning, social life, and personal growth, not some prescribed ‘ranked’ school that is most recognized on a bumper sticker.

To my point, I sometimes refer to Dean College as the Jolt Cola of colleges and universities.  It isn’t for everyone, but those that are looking for what we offer swear by us.  You may be looking for Jolt Cola.  You might be looking for Dr. Pepper.  You might even be looking for Coke or Pepsi.  The key is to keep an open mind and explore all your options so you can find the place that truly fits your tastes, not just the options that are ‘brand’ names.  If you take the time and effort, you will likely find that special flavor that satisfies you again and again. 

The Greatest Country on Earth

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me start by saying that I am a huge Aaron Sorkin fan.  The West Wing, Sports Night, and The Social Network are, for me, must see entertainment.  The reason I bring this up is because as I reflect on yesterday’s Independence Day, I am struck by the brouhaha Mr. Sorkin has created recently with his newest endeavor, The Newsroom (HBO).

In the first episode of The Newsroom, the lead character, a news anchor with a reputation of being a bit vanilla in his news commentary, is challenged by a college student to provide his views on why the United States is the greatest country in the world.  His response:  It isn’t – at least not anymore.  If you haven’t seen the clip, it is a worthwhile conversation piece.  (warning: contains language which some may find offensive.) 

Now, whether you believe the sentiment Sorkin presents or not, he certainly has struck a nerve, enough so to lead CNN to publish a series exploring the concept of American exceptionalism.  I certainly won’t claim to be enough of an expert to debate the merits of Sorkin’s position either in favor or against here.  But, what I can say with some level of authority is that what has, does, and will make this country great is insuring an educated citizenry.  This is not just an economic imperative; it is also a moral one.  There are reams of data that show conclusively that higher education results in significantly higher lifetime earnings and lower unemployment.  The difference in earnings and unemployment between college degree earners and non-degree earners is intensified when isolating groups such as lower socio-economic status, underrepresented groups, and first-generation Americans.  But what about the other impacts of education?

For starters, people with higher education are healthier, live longer and are less likely to be smokers, a benefit both to the individual and to our health care system.  They are also far more likely to engage in volunteerism and are more politically active and aware, resulting in higher engagement in the democratic process through voting.  Conclusion:  Higher education benefits our society.

As we look back on what we have done and look ahead to what we will do as a nation, education is a cornerstone to that once and future success.  Whether you believe America is or isn’t the greatest country on Earth, it certainly can be going forward if we are intelligent enough to invest in ourselves by insuring an educated citizenry. 

Confessions of a Theatre Major

When people learn what I do for a living, I quickly become quite popular at parties.  Inevitable questions about college selectivity, preparing for college, and “so what really is the best school” ensue.  The most popular question I get, though, is “so what did you major in for a career in higher education.”  The answer is often a surprise:  I was a theatre major.

Yes, I was a theatre geek (along with a double major in English, the degree that receives an equal amount of praise as major most likely to lead to a job at McDonalds:  see also Garrison Keillor.)  I picked up the acting bug when I was 16 when I got talked into doing a summer musical production of Sound of Music.  Fellow thespians can relate to that first experience on stage – the exhilaration, the fear, the sense of accomplishment.  It actually offered me the same high as I feel on the soccer field, except I’ve never felt stage fright before a soccer match.

Soon I was heading off to college.  I told my parents that I was going to major in Political Science and get a law degree.  Needless to say they liked that idea.  But, it wasn’t long before I realized I wanted nothing to do with political theory and what I really wanted to do was spend as much time as possible acting and singing.  After all, the people involved were pretty cool and what could be easier than a Theatre major, right?

Here’s a little secret:  being a Theatre major is HARD.  If you are in a liberal arts environment (which I highly recommend, but more on that later) then you are balancing Theatre courses with traditional curriculum.  You still need to take science, etc. as well as your acting and voice.  Not only that, Theatre majors study a lot of history, and Theatre History and Art History courses are quite extensive, along with literary criticism, art, design, and technology.  Then there are the practicum hours.  These are hours spent outside of regular classes and rehearsals honing the non-acting skills in areas of lighting, costuming and scenic design and construction.  Believe me, anyone that doesn’t understand why they need to learn higher math in high school figures out the reason really quick when applied to these skill areas.

And this is the point:  when you are in an undergraduate liberal arts environment, your specific major isn’t as important as what you study.  Yes, this is a highly nuanced statement.  What I mean is, if you major in music or art or history, you are still taking courses in science and math.  But what really makes liberal arts education work is the opportunity to apply that knowledge across different fields.  Musicians will back me up on this – the most successful musicians, composers and producers understand math and science, they have just learned to apply that knowledge to an artistic endeavor.  It is no wonder that I know a number of former music majors who are doctors, lawyers, and even a couple engineers.  The same is true for my Theatre major friends; doctors, lawyers, business owners, corporate leaders.  Did I also mention that Dr. Wife is also a Theatre geek?  How do you suppose we met?

A couple years into my first job out of college, I decided to test the waters and apply for a corporate job.  I interviewed with an international management consulting firm in New York City.  At the conclusion of the interview process, I met with one of the VP’s.  We got to talking and it turns out that this corporate VP actually majored in Dance in college.  He graduated, worked for a number of years on Broadway, went on for his MBA and now he was running a company.  With an undergraduate degree in the arts.

So, when you (or your son or daughter, depending on who is reading) decide you might want to major in the arts, don’t run away from the decision or let someone tell you it isn’t ‘practical’.  Arts graduates get jobs, even good paying ones.  Some do so in their artistic field, but many more pursue careers outside of the arts.  I’m reminded of the NCAA commercials that air during championship games:  going pro in something other than sports.  They are also satisfied with their choices as this recent study suggests:  http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2012/06/19/arts-graduates-are-generally-satisfied-employed.

Pursuing a Theatre major gave me a number of tools that have helped me be successful.  Critical thinking.  Communications.  Writing.  Creativity.  Problem solving.  Not to mention the ability to accept failure (every Theatre major faces rejection every time they audition for a show) and to persevere.  I’m comfortable in front of large groups of people (useful in my line of work) and I think well on my feet.  Though I never fully pursued a career in Theatre, I use my Theatre major every day in almost everything I do.  Not to mention meeting Dr. Wife.  It is good to be a geek.

College Cost, ROI, Student Loan Debt, and Mass Hysteria

George Orwell truly understood the nature of our society.  In 1984, Orwell creates a society where three ‘states’ exist and the ‘state’ of the protagonist is perpetually at war with one of the other states, thus creating a sense of fear in the populous designed to keep the masses in line.  This approach is not too different from Presidential politics and the usage of higher education as a pawn in this current Presidential cycle to illicit fear and manipulate the electorate.

Lest someone label me some sort of anarchist, let me explain my position.  In an effort to curry favor amongst voters, the candidates have launched predictable salvos at each other designed to create emotional responses from the middle class.  This year’s cause celeb is higher education.  Why?  Because higher ed is an easy target.  Everyone knows it is necessary for success in today’s economy, and everyone knows that it requires an investment.  However, in a down economy, that investment can seem quite daunting.

To stir the pot, the candidates and their surrogates are prone to hyperbole.  They spout scary statistics about the increase in the overall student loan debt without explaining the information behind the statistics.  They bemoan the rise in college tuitions but don’t look at what students are actually expected to pay.  And, they suggest that somehow a college education is less valuable because people are having a hard time finding a job.  This creates hysteria and scares many away from the most important investment they can make in their futures over an unfounded fear. 

So, let’s examine these arguments and infuse a little reality.  We’ll start with student loan debt.  Yes, overall student loan debt has reached record amounts (passing $1 trillion this year).  However, what no one is talking about is why.  Here’s the answer:  more students are going to college, which means there are more students borrowing.  In addition, the student loan debt total is the sum of ALL student debt including graduate school programs and professional programs such as medical school and law school, not just undergraduate.  To put this in perspective, my doctor wife had over $100,000 in medical school loans when she graduated which counts in that $1 trillion.  However, with those loans came pretty great earning potential and, by the way, loan forgiveness programs to help lessen the burden. 

What about the rising tuition question.  Have tuitions gone up?  Yes, they have.  But, when you buy a car, do you pay sticker price?  Hopefully not.  The same is true with college tuition.  Check out this graphic from the NPR Planet Money blog:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/05/22/153316565/the-price-of-college-tuition-in-1-graphic.  What you will see here is that, while ‘sticker price’ has gone up, net price (what you actually pay) has actually gone down as colleges give out more grant aid.  So, over the last 10 years, college actually HAS NOT GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE.

Finally, has a college education become less valuable?  One could argue that earning potential has indeed dropped recently for college graduates, but this is not an indictment of the value of the degree, it is a reality of an economy slowly emerging from recession.  In other words, EVERYONE’s earning potential has decreased, but it won’t stay that way forever.  A better question is whether you can afford NOT to get a degree.  Look at unemployment.  The national unemployment rate is 8.3%.  However, the national unemployment rate for college graduates is under 4% while it is over 15% for non-college graduates.  Today’s global economy requires education, and education isn’t free.   It costs money to provide first-rate facilities, keep up with rapidly changing information technology, hire good teachers and, by the way, feed and house students.  Residence halls aren’t tents – they are your home away from home and need to not only be comfortable but conform to codes and regulations for occupancy and safety. 

Let’s go back to my doctor wife.  She comes from a decidedly blue color background.  In fact, she grew up in a trailer.  Today, she is a doctor.  Think the investment she made in her education wasn’t worth it? 

Before you consider running away from higher ed, examine all the facts and consider the investment you are making in yourself and in your future.  If you want to own a home, have a family, be able to take vacation and climb the economic ladder, you need an education.  And now is the best time to go to college.  Why?  Net cost is down and, if you don’t go, do you think you will get a job in this economy?  But if you wait until the economy gets better, you’ll be enrolling in school when you should be graduating and getting the benefit of graduating in a good economy – that is return on investment.