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5 higher-ed issues that should dominate presidential debates

Many say the presidential candidates’ debates and discussions lack a focus on higher education—here are the issues the candidates should research

presidential-candidates [1]The presidential campaign and debates among candidates have shed light on the issues most important to the U.S. public—and among those issues is higher education, from financing it, to institutions’ accreditation, to accessibility.

As Generation Z takes ownership of its higher-education future [2], the following issues will become even more important as a new president takes office.

Here, we offer a handful of higher education issues, along with important developments pertaining to each issue, which should be on the presidential candidates’ radar and present in their debates as November nears.

Did some issues not make the list? Be sure to include your suggestions in the comment section below.

1. The cost of higher education and the student loan debate

“We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job,” President Obama said during his Jan. 12 State of the Union address–the last of his presidency.

“And we have to make college affordable for every American. Because no hardworking student should be stuck in the red. We’ve already reduced student loan payments to 10 percent of a borrower’s income. Now, we’ve actually got to cut the cost of college. Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I’m going to keep fighting to get that started this year,” he said, referencing his America’s Promise proposal, which would make two years of community college free to students meeting certain requirements. The proposal has yet to gain traction in Congress, though some states are passing their own versions of the plan.

Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both proposed that federal efforts and money should help make college more affordable.

Sanders has proposed six steps [3] to make college debt-free, which he outlines on his website. Those steps include making tuition at public colleges and universities free and cutting student loan rates.

Clinton’s New College Compact [4] proposes that students should not have to borrow money to pay for tuition or books at a four-year public college in their state. Family contributions will be evaluated to ensure they are affordable and realistic.

Republican candidate Donald Trump has touched on higher education as well, saying in interviews that the federal government should not make money off of student loans.

Ted Cruz has made sympathetic comments about the burden of student loans, but voted against a 2015 bill that would have made it possible for Americans to refinance their student loans at lower interest rates.

Increasing financial pathways to college accessibility should be among the presidential candidates’ top concerns. Recommendations [5] from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Governors’ Council outlined three critical reforms to increase college accessibility.

While colleges and universities seem to have recovered from the recession, students still bear much of the cost [6] to attend. In the next year, institutions will have to get creative [7] with existing funding in an effort to ease the financial burden that so often comes with higher education.

(Next page: Four more higher-ed issues the presidential candidates should cover)

2. Competency-based education programs

There has been momentous movement when it comes to competency-based education (CBE) programs, from vendors offering CBE solutions and support, to universities banding together to call for national groups or coalitions to outline CBE pathways, to reports that identify essential steps, faculty roles, and barriers to CBE program success. And for good reason: students are seeking faster and more financially-feasible ways to obtain higher education, and institutions are looking to CBE to attract students and combat declining enrollments.

Most recently, a Public Agenda report [8] funded by the Gates Foundation and the Lumina Foundation revealed that CBE program representatives across the nation seemed to agree that certain elements, including a learner-centered approach and measurable assessments, are critical to a CBE program’s success.

Though CBE programs seem to be growing across the nation, others observe that their growth could be stunted by federal regulations [9], making the topic one on which the presidential candidates should keep tabs.

3. College accessibility

Colleges and universities must strive to make their online web content accessible [10], and some groups filed lawsuits alleging violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Montana State University professors authored a report outlining 10 steps to apply Universal Design for Learning to online courses [11] in order to accommodate students with disabilities.

As the popularity of MOOCs grows, providers also must take care to ensure their content meets accessibility requirements [12] and standards.

A panel at the Internet2 Global Summit 2015 [13] discussed how colleges and universities can remain compliant with accessibility requirements.

4. Accreditation in the spotlight

Higher-ed accreditation reached hot-topic status this year as the push to improve accreditation increased. The U.S. Department of Education announced a number of legislative proposals [14], including increased transparency on accreditation material and establishing a set of standardized, common definitions and data reporting, to help guide Congressional action on improving and reforming accreditation in higher education.

Some say the emergence of for-profit schools has revealed cracks in the accreditation process. In addition, they say, accreditation’s structure itself, as a private entity, leads to problems and oversight.
Others say the process is not broken, but that there do exist areas that could be improved with federal cooperation and transparency. And recently, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors voted to oust [15] the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The vote put into a place a requirement for state education leaders to come up with a plan to replace the commission by March 2016.

On a national level, many agree that a new model is needed [16].

5. Admissions makeovers

The college admissions process offers another chance for the presidential candidates to stay informed about what goes into the process, how it’s changing, and how policy can adapt to best serve the needs of multiple student populations.

A new survey reveals that more college admissions officers are turning to social media [17] to learn more about applicants.

A report analyzed admissions practices to help shed light on myths [18] that might prompt colleges and universities to place their faith in ineffective admissions practices.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education issued a report [19] with recommendations intended to improve admissions processes and ease pressure on college applicants.