U'S' Higher Education: Domestic and International Trends and Issues

1
U.S. Higher Education Domestic and International
Trends and Issues

• AAUA Annual Meeting
• November 6, 2009

2
Resting on a position of superiority is
not a viable strategy How long can you tread
water?Nations that learn from others grow,
those that do not, do not grow
3
Domestic Higher Education Trends

• Degree completion--1 HE priority for Obama admin
• All levels of completionespecially associate
  degree
• Value language is for completion of certificate
  to doctoral and post-doctoral education
• Better access for underrepresented and marginal
  populations
• Transparency, Portability, and Accountabilityvalu
  e added education. Total Cost Calculator
• Funding for HE is level or up slightly. 2010
  budget still not done

4
The 2009 Phoenix Budget

• FIPSEs budget as case study
• Story begins with Aug. 2008 HE Reauthorization
  Act
• FIPSE Statuteusual language on innovati0n and
  international cooperation plus CenterBest
  Practices..Single Parents and Scholarship
  ProgramFamily MembersMilitarysince 9/11/01
• Appropriation versus Funding
• Original 2009 budget included 27 million for Comp
• Feb 09 Omnibus Budget

5
The Phoenix Rises

• May 09 Comprehensive Program replaced with three
  departmental initiatives
• 7 millionCommunity College Program for Displaced
  Workers
• 10 millionGraduate Programs for Institutions
  Serving Hispanic Students
• 10 millionTextbook Rental Initiative
• 2010 budgetCC continues, Textbook separate
  budget
• 2010 Comprehensive budget40 grants proposed

6
International Higher Education Trends

• Convergence of Higher Education
• International Data Analyses and Benchmarking
• Bologna Process
• Tuning USA
• Erasmus and Friends
• Double and Joint Degrees

7
Global Convergence of H.E.

• Prevalence of common cycles bachelor, master,
  doctor, post-doctoral study, associate/short
  cycle, vocational and technical
  training/certificates, and life-long learning
• Globalization of academic research
• Increased internalization of accreditation/quality
  assurance.
• Adaptation of institutional categories in EU

8
International Data Analysis

• Four well-known databases
• World Bank
• UNESCO
• Eurostat
• OECDEducation at a Glance (EAG)

9
Comparative International Data

• EAG 2008 reports US 1 in proportion of
  population with bacc. degrees (except ages 25-34,
  then 2)
• U.S. does poorly when assoc degrees are added
  indata does not account for single mission short
  cycle schools versus U.S. multiple mission
  community colleges
• U.S. rates 22/24 on OECD for graduation
  ratesdata compares US grad rates at place where
  student started versus world system grad rates
• Different definitionsbeginning student, remedial
  student, graduating student, foreign student
• U.S. among few nations that do not code students
  for tracking
• Demographics in international data

10
The Bologna Process I

• Started in 1999.
• Created EAHE (European Area of HE)
• Ministerial conferences every two years
• Harmonization of higher education structures
• Adoption of readable and comparable degrees
• NOT standardization-but how to translate
  differences
• Case study EU 3-yr bachelors degree for US
  graduate schools. 2007 survey of US registrars.
  Within 5 year period15 to 50 acceptance

11
The Bologna Process II

• Many aspects to Bologna Process
• 46 European countries included. 180 institutions
  in Latin America plus Russia and Australia
• Widespread use of ECTS
• Diploma Supplements
• Qualification frameworks
• Quality assurances (within and across countries)
• Social dimension (access and services)
• Lifelong learning and training

12
Tuning USA 2009

• One-year pilot project by Lumina Foundation
• 3 state higher ed systems (Indiana, Minn., Utah)
• 9 institutions in each state flagship, public,
  private, community colleges, and students
• 2 or 3 disciplines in each statebiology,
  chemistry, physics, history, education, and
  graphic arts
• Two questions? What does each level mean in each
  discipline? What are subject specific
  competences?
• Report is due December 2009

13
Erasmus and Friends

• Erasmus--almost 2 million u.g. exchanges in EU.
• Erasmus Mundus I(5 years) dual degrees at masters
  level. Two or more EU universities offer degrees
  to world students.
• Erasmus Mundus II begins 2009consortia of world
  and EU universities design joint and double
  degrees, masters, doctorate, and post-doc levels,
  faculty scholarships.
• All fully paid by the European Commission

14
Joint and Double Degrees

• Jan 2009 survey by IIE and Free Univ of Berlin.
• 180 respondents-110 (87)US institutions planning
  dual degrees, and 172 EU (85)
• Totals reported38 US and 50 EU joint degrees
  plus 240 US and 613 EU double degrees
• Top partnersUS. France, Spain, Germany, UK,
  China, Mexico, South Korea
• Top disciplinesBus and Management, Engineering
  and Tech, Computer Science, Social Sciences,
  Physical and Life Sciences

15
Thank you.

• Frank Frankfort, Ph.D.
• EU-U.S. Atlantis Program
• frank.frankfort_at_ed.gov
• www.ed.gov/fipse