Exploring Access in Higher Education and Choosing our Future Michigan College Personnel Association October 25, 2004

1. Exploring Access in Higher Education and Choosing our Future Michigan College Personnel Association October 25, 2004

2. Outline for our time together: • Who are we? • Issues related to access to higher education • Questions to keep in mind • One idea for moving forward – Access to Democracy Project • Mini Access to Democracy Dialogue • Conclusion

3. Ecological Systems ModelDeveloped by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

4. The Array of Higher Education BenefitsPrepared by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, March 1998 Public Private • Increased Tax Revenues • Greater Productivity • Increased Consumption • Increased Workforce Flexibility • Decreased Reliance on Government Financial Support • Reduced Crime Rates • Increased Charitable Giving / Community Service • Increased Quality of Civic Life • Social Cohesion / Appreciation of Diversity • Improved Ability to Adapt to and Use Technology • Higher Salaries and Benefits • Employment • Higher Savings Levels • Improved Working Conditions • Personal / Professional Mobility • Improved Health / Life Expectancy • Improved Quality of Life for Offspring • Better Consumer Decision Making • Increased Personal Status • More Hobbies, Leisure Activities Economic Social

5. Why Do Higher Education Institutions Matter? Please tell me how important good public colleges and universities are to each of the following: 89% 85% 85% 83% 80% 80% 80% 77% 77% 75% 73% Source: The American Council on Education

6. Some of the Issues We Face in Trying to Advance Higher Education as a Public Good… • Institutional Mission • Economics • Civic Disconnect • Language, message, and focus • Public understanding, support & engagement

7. Some of the Threats to Access… • Higher Education Act Reauthorization and Student Financial Aid • State Budget Deficits • Tuition Increases • Limited college capacity and a growing number of students attending college • Challenges to Affirmative Action

8. Access to Democracy Project Information and Education Effort Grassroots - Grass tops Model Involvement of Kellogg Fellows, American Council on Education Fellows, Librarians, and Teachers And also Governor’s Staff, Community Foundations, Michigan Foundations

9. Places of Public Debate? • Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement: • Colleges and universities are places where important issues facing our nation and the world should be debated. College-age adults, ages 18-24, are more likely to strongly agree that colleges and universities should be places of public debate (50%) than older adults (36%). Post-graduates (53%) are significantly more likely than college graduates (42%) or those with less than a college education (34%) to strongly agree that issues of public importance should be debated in these institutions. Agree Disagree

10. The National Issues Forum Institute Framing the Issue for Public Deliberation Engaging Communities in Dialogue on Public Issues “If American democracy is to fulfill its promise, citizens must take responsibility and act together.”

11. Questions to Keep in Mind • What does access / lack thereof look like at your institution? • What should it look like? • What is our role in this change process? • What is the role of our institution? • Are there different issues across institution type? Different states? • How may we be an ally to one another?

12. Conclusion • Revisiting the questions to keep in mind • How does this relate back to our campuses? • What is our role as student affairs professionals in the state of Michigan? • Final questions / comments

13. Other pertinent slides…

14. What Should Students Get Out of College? A sense of maturity and how to manage on their own An ability to get along with people different from themselves An improved ability to solve problems and think analytically Learning hi-tech skills, such as using computers and the Internet Specific expertise and knowledge in careers they have chosen Top-notch writing and speaking skills Responsibilities of citizenship, such as voting and volunteering Exposure to great writers and thinkers in subjects like literature and history Source: The National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education

15. Most Important Economic Contribution Which of the following ways would you say is the most important way that the public colleges and universities in this state contribute to the state’s economy? Disproportionately younger, more educated, more affluent Disproportionately over 50, not college graduates, lower income Disproportionately male with advanced degrees; also disproportionately African American Source: The American Council on Education

16. Active Citizenship as a Goal of Higher Education Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement:“One of the main goals of higher education is to teach students how to be active citizens.” Women (76%) are more likely than men (66%) to believe that active citizenship is a main goal of higher education. Women are now the majority of those enrolled in degree-granting institutions (60%). . Adults in rural areas (80%) are more likely than urban adults (69%) to believe that active citizenship is a main goal of higher education

17. How Are Colleges and Universities Doing? African American respondents (18%) are more than twice as likely as Caucasian respondents (7%) to say that colleges and universities are doing a poor job on preparing students for a career. 63% African American respondents (22%) are more than twice as likely as Caucasian respondents (10%) to say that colleges and universities are doing a poor job on building a relationship with the surrounding community. 47% 47%

18. Key Question What role do institutions of higher education have in fostering public debate?

19. Should Higher Education Be Doing More? In general, do you think colleges and universities should - do more to encourage public debate on issues of importance to the nation and the world, do less to encourage public debate, or are their current efforts about right? College-age adults, ages 18-24, are most likely to want institutions of higher education to do more (61%). Adults of color (63%) are significantly more likely than white adults (44%) to want colleges and universities to do more. Adults with a high school or less education are least likely to want colleges or universities to do more to encourage public debate (41%) than their college (47%) or post-graduate (57%) counterparts.

20. Gender and Education Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement: Colleges and universities are places where important issues facing our nation and the world should be debated. In general, do you think colleges and universities should - do more to encourage public debate on issues of importance to the nation and the world, do less to encourage public debate, or are their current efforts about right? Non-college men are the most likely to believe colleges and universities should do less to encourage public debate, while non-college women are the most undecided. College Men College Women Non- college Men Non- college Women College Men College Women Non- college Men Non- college Women

21. Key Question How does the public view diversity and affirmative action in higher education?

22. Support for Affirmative Action Support for Affirmative Action Includes: 61% of White Adults 63% of Hispanic or Latino Adults 83% of African-American Adults Source: Americans for a Fair Chance

23. Is Affirmative Action Still Necessary? Choose the one statement that you agree with most: (% saying…) 53% African American Affirmative action remains necessary 23% White 31% Hispanic or Latino Affirmative action isn’t perfect, but it is NOT yet time to end it Affirmative action should be ended immediately Don’t know Source: Americans for a Fair Chance

24. When are People Most Supportive? • When the focus is on the process rather than the outcome. • When specific programs are described. • When programs encourage without mandating. • When programs are gender-based as well as race-based. • Selection criteria should be color-blind and affirmative action violates this principle. • Affirmative action means that people who are less qualified will be hired or admitted, when people who are more qualified are shut out. • People should be rewarded for hard work and responsibility, not for having some arbitrary attribute. • Affirmative action means reverse discrimination, trading one kind of discrimination for another. • When programs are class-based rather than either gender- or race-based.

25. Why Do People Oppose Affirmative Action? • Selection criteria should be color-blind and affirmative action violates this principle. • Affirmative action means that people who are less qualified will be hired or admitted, when people who are more qualified are shut out. • People should be rewarded for hard work and responsibility, not for having some arbitrary attribute.

26. Why Do People Oppose Affirmative Action? • Affirmative action means reverse discrimination, trading one kind of discrimination for another. • When programs are class-based rather than either gender- or race-based.

27. Equal Opportunity to a Higher Education • Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement: • All people - regardless of race, ethnicity, social class or gender - should have equal opportunity to a higher education. More than 8 out of 10 adults across every demographic and geographic subgroup strongly agree that all people should have equal opportunity to a higher education. Agree Disagree

28. Diversity is Important, But... How important do you personally believe it is to have students of different races, cultures and backgrounds in higher education? Which TWO of the following do you personally think colleges and universities should use as the most important factors in deciding which students to admit to their schools: 70% - Grades from High School 50% - Standardized Test Scores 16% - Special abilities in athletics, art or music 14% - Leadership in school or community 11% - Creativity 5 % - Residency in school’s home state 5% - Community or volunteer experience 2% - History of parents 2% - Race or ethnicity of student 0% - Gender of student *Half Sample Only Important Not important Source: The American Council on Education/Business-Higher Education Forum

29. Action to Ensure Diversity in Higher Education Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Colleges and universities should be allowed to take actions to ensure that their student body is diverse. Do you favor or oppose affirmative action programs in higher education, or aren’t you sure? Favor Oppose Don’t know Don’t know Agree Disagree Source: The American Council on Education/Business-Higher Education Forum

30. Affirmative Action: Positive Benefit to Society • Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement: • Affirmative action policies in higher education have • a positive effect on our society. • Most likely to strongly agree: • Household income of under $25K (41%) • Adults of color (40%) • Children under age 6 (35%) • High school or less education (34%) • Most likely to disagree: • Household income of $75K or more (41%) • College educated men (41%) • Post-graduates (37%) • Men (35%) • Children age 6 or older (35%) • Reside in the South (34%) • White adults (30%) Agree Disagree Don’t know

31. Drop-Off: Affirmative Action Agree with Opportunity but Not Affirmative Action: (Those most likely to agree that all people should have an equal opportunity to higher education, but disagree that affirmative action in higher education benefits society.) • Total (27%) • Household income of $75K or more (38%) • College educated men (38%) • Post-graduates (36%) • With children ages 6 and older (34%) • Reside in the South (32%) • Men (33%) Those who believe colleges and universities should be places where issues of public importance are debated are significantly more likely to believe affirmative action policies in higher education have benefited society than those who do not (69% to 55% respectively).