Higher Education Reform Part II | Cincinnatus Series
Feb 12, 2025
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Scott Yenor, a senior director at the Center for the American Way of Life, Frederick Hess, an education policy expert at the American Enterprise Institute, and Beth Akers, a fellow specializing in education economics, delve into critical issues in higher education. They advocate for state legislators to enhance accountability in universities, shifting focus from research to quality teaching. The discussion critiques inflated grading practices, redefines faculty workloads, and promotes transparency, arguing for reforms that prioritize effective student education and school choice for all families.
State legislatures must enforce accountability measures in higher education to ensure student engagement equates to academic mastery and value for tuition.
Higher education institutions should prioritize effective teaching in faculty evaluations to enhance student outcomes and reduce distractions from academic success.
Deep dives
Oversight of Higher Education Responsibilities
Legislators should increase their oversight of higher education institutions by requiring deans, provosts, and chancellors to account for student workloads and educational outcomes. There is a significant concern that students often do not engage fully in their studies while still paying high tuition fees. This oversight can involve examination of course documentation and student work, highlighting the need for accountability in institutions that are funded by taxpayer dollars. By enforcing stricter evaluation measures, lawmakers can ensure that students earn their diplomas based on genuine academic achievement rather than minimal effort.
Reforming Faculty Responsibilities and Incentives
Higher education institutions must refocus on education by ensuring that faculty teaching responsibilities are prioritized in their evaluations and promotions. Currently, faculty members often prioritize research and publication over effective teaching, which detracts from the educational experience of students. State legislators should clarify expectations around teaching loads, requiring faculty to engage more actively in mentoring and support for students. By shifting the focus back to meaningful teaching, institutions can improve student outcomes and reduce behaviors that distract from academic success.
Legislative Role in Curriculum and Faculty Hiring
State legislators have the right to engage in setting educational standards and curriculum for public higher education institutions, which are largely funded by taxpayer money. This involvement should extend to influencing faculty hiring practices to ensure alignment with public education goals rather than leaving such decisions solely to current faculty members. Introducing mechanisms for accountability in faculty hiring will help maintain academic standards and ensure that the needs of the state’s citizenry are met. By encouraging stakeholder involvement, legislators can foster transparency and better educational outcomes.
Responding to the Enrollment Cliff and Financial Accountability
The anticipated enrollment cliff will necessitate important changes in higher education, prompting state legislators to oversee how institutions prioritize academic programs based on their relevance and effectiveness. With financial pressures mounting, institutions must reevaluate which programs are truly delivering value and which ones can be cut without harming the educational mission. This situation provides a unique opportunity for legislators to assert more control and demand accountability concerning resource allocation in state-funded schools. By emphasizing the need for program reviews aligned with state educational priorities, jurisdictions can better respond to emerging economic challenges and improve overall educational quality.
Time to tighten the belt. As federal funding scrutiny increases—and with an enrollment cliff fast approaching—state legislators, not internal experts, must take action to put universities under the microscope and ensure faculty hours equate to student academic mastery, promoting attendance. Host and Claremont Institute president Ryan Williams sits down with returning guest Scott Yenor and is joined by Frederick Hess and Beth Akers of the American Enterprise Institute to continue the discussion of how state legislatures may reshape universities, from performance funding to school choice.
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