Structure of Higher Education Why

Structure of Higher Education Why does the structure of higher education need to be "fixed"? Or does it? No bureaucratic system devoted to educating the youth of tomorrow can refuse to change with the times. The university is a community, and must change its administration to reflect changes in society and changes within its own social fabric.

Perhaps once upon a time, the current structure worked 'just fine.' However, that was an era where fewer students went to college in America because of financial reasons, when American universities were less diverse, and students were not as eager to have a voice in the way that the university was run. In previous decades, students had less wide-ranging educational interests and vocational needs, and the job market was less competitive.

To tailor its unique offerings to its campus, the university system needs to adopt a more participatory style of leadership and governance. Question: What is the matter with the way things are now typically organized? Don't universities operate just fine now? If things need to be "fixed" what needs fixing? Students and professors need more of a voice in how the university is run. Incorporating more student and faculty voices into the institutions of governance is required for the university to truly become a participatory community.

Issues of curriculum reform, student concerns such as financial aid and the need for better undergraduate instruction, would all benefit from a more participatory structure of leadership. Part 2 Perspectives on race and gender within higher education organizations, as we develop a greater appreciation for the voices of others, especially women and minorities..

Question: How might current models of academic organization and governance better adapt to these voices? Today, universities around the nation have Women's Studies and African-American studies programs and departments, and Latino and Gay Studies departments in some institutions of learning as well. Undergraduate and graduate organizations advocate for these interest groups. Yet one critical shortfall remains that has a seismic, often silent impact upon the representational nature of the university -- financial aid. Were more scholarships available, the diversity of most colleges would increase exponentially.

Yet except for a few select, well-endowed institutions such as Harvard that can offer children from families with incomes of less than $40,000 full scholarships, schools often can extend little financial support than access to the increasingly dry.