When higher education works well, it is an unparalleled source of upward mobility for individuals, a benefit to communities, and a net positive for our democracy. Too often, though, it has not lived up to that promise. Now, it is actively under attack while largely underprepared for the shift in work that artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in, with outsized effects on college graduates. Meanwhile, the federal infrastructure that long supported access is being dismantled at the same moment the system most needs reinvention. And, along with many other types of institutions in society, trust in higher education is at a low point in American history.
Though this seems like a gloomy outlook, all is not lost. Recently, several groups and organizations have begun to release reports outlining potential ways for institutions to respond to many of these challenges. And though trust in broader institutions is at a low overall, individuals and communities still believe higher education has the potential to change lives and appreciate the value of their local community-oriented colleges and universities. Many individual higher education institutions are continuing their work in successfully serving learners and communities in ways that are innovative, transformative, and worthy of exploring for lessons for the broader ecosystem.
What these important developments and contributions need now is a cohesive vision for the system infrastructure to carry reform forward, connected with real people in communities outside of academia.
Enter Higher Education Reimagined– an initiative to serve as connective tissue between the existing and emerging bold ideas and community voices focused on the future of higher education and the federal policy infrastructure needed to make those futures real for every learner and every community.
Our core conviction is that a higher education which provides demonstrable value both to learners and to society is the foundation of the social contract that warrants federal investment.
Historically, the federal government has played a powerful role in supporting higher education, from creating the system of federal student aid that supports over 10 million students in postsecondary education each year, to the investments that created community colleges and land grant colleges, and the funding that has fueled a generation of transformative research making American universities the envy of the world. The federal government has also historically played a critical role in protecting civil rights in education to ensure equal opportunity for all students. Individual efforts across states and institutions are important and valuable, but the power of the federal infrastructure in creating widespread opportunity and uplift is undeniable.
We need a new path forward for the federal role that is responsive to the changing needs of today’s students and today’s workforce, without sacrificing the core values that make American higher education great. American higher education is unique in its support for opportunity for all, no matter one’s income or background; in its belief in the power of free inquiry, without the pressure of government censorship; and in its commitment to democratic principles of shared governance–in all its messy glory.
We know that higher education, however, needs to be more affordable and more focused on connecting learning in the classroom to the world outside of it–which doesn’t just mean internships, but a variety of experiences and work-based learning that provide meaning and value. It must continue to create opportunities for respectful dialogue across differences, and environments that are inclusive and free from discrimination. Some of these challenges are more suited to the purview of federal policy than others, but acknowledging the full spectrum of needs at this moment is key to moving forward.
The path to designing a new federal policy outline for higher education will not be easy. Support for higher education itself has grown more polarized along partisan lines, a shift from the broader bipartisan support the enterprise has historically enjoyed. We must acknowledge this shift while also planning for a future that addresses the conditions that allowed it to take hold.
We approach this work collaboratively, with humility, and with genuine inclusivity. That means embarking on a policy design process that authentically involves those closest to the work: learners, faculty, employers, and community members whose perspectives are not merely noted but taken seriously. We believe that the most durable and effective policy infrastructure must be designed with sustained engagement with learners, employers, and communities writ large.
We also realize that policy design doesn’t end with a white paper–it must be carried through to implementation driven by principles of effective government.
So, who is “we” and how will we achieve this vision? The core team includes the authors of this introductory blog– Jenna Sablan, PhD and Zakiya Smith Ellis, EdD. We are both policy practitioners who have worked in both state and federal policy and with lived experience teaching and advising students that informs our work.
We have also recruited an amazing set of advisors who will help guide us along the way. They bring experience leading institutions and state systems and working at the intersection of workforce and industry; building movements and organizing with youth; working in philanthropy and working to design state and federal systems, across various political and policy perspectives. More about them here.
We have also partnered with Campus Compact to host listening sessions across the country that will center learner, stakeholder, and community voices in this process.
And finally, we would love to hear from you. Yes YOU! If you are reading this post, you are likely interested in or involved in some sort of effort to improve higher education. Whether you have an idea for a policy recommendation, an interesting report or blog post that you’d like us to know about, or if you’re interested in partnering with us in some way, we’d love to hear from you. If you work on a campus and are interested in hosting a listening session, we’d love to hear from you!
We will share more about other ways to engage with our work as we release some initial briefs and ideas in the coming days. In the meantime, please subscribe to our Substack to be informed of all of the developments of our work. We would love to be in community there with others who see a need to develop a future of higher education that is responsive to learner and community needs, evidence based, and values-aligned.
Are you working on reimagining higher education? We would love to know about your efforts! Reach out at info@higheredreimagined.org
