Colleges and universities are facing increasing
pressure to graduate more students quicker and for less money. Policymakers at some
institutions have responded by reducing the number of required credits, cutting
certain major fields of study, and giving credit for life experiences.
Now, some professors are asking if this push for
efficiency is leading to lower-quality education. A group of faculty members plan to meet later
this month in New York to discuss the issue.
“There are a whole bunch of policies—like getting
students through more quickly—most of which don’t pay attention to what they
are learning,” Debra Humphreys, vice president, Association of American Colleges and University, told The Atlantic.
“It could be making a bad situation worse if we don’t look at the impact of not
only how many students but what they learn.”
One area of concern is policies that include
performance-based funding. While critics contend that a U.S. graduation rate of
56% is unacceptable, too little is known on how such policies affect the
quality of what is being taught.
Humphreys added, “Getting students through more
efficiently, more quickly, and with the learning they need, we need to pay
attention to all three. Otherwise, at least one will suffer.”
