By always remembering that as leaders in higher education we have a responsibility to the ensuing generations, we can help our institutions and the students they serve thrive in turbulent times now and in the future.
Young children look on with muted amazement and ever-growing wonder at the people they observe. Children are impressionable without knowing it and trusting without fully comprehending every implication of what they are absorbing. Kids simply take it all in, and they don't miss a thing. The next generation is always at our doorstep, always by our side, watching our lead and following in the footsteps that have been lain before them. They will one day create their own paths for those who will, in turn, follow them. It is this knowledge that should remind us that the example we set as leaders in our own time and the decisions we make will forever impact the future, a future we hold dearly as one of promise for those who will come after us.
Who Is Looking to Us?
The way we conduct ourselves as leaders and the decisions we make are under constant observation—by our children, our students, our peers, our friends, those we serve, and those we lead. We are at a time in history when uncertainty about the future is leading, for many, to an atmosphere of increased pressure and fear. The value of attending an institution of higher education, which has served as the gateway to higher understanding and potential in multiple areas of life for generations, is now being called into question. Increasing student loan debt, economic uncertainty, and an ever-volatile political environment have subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) begun to erode the traditional view of the purpose and mission of higher education institutions.
While increased access to higher learning has traditionally been viewed positively, a widening gap has emerged between the perceived value of a degree and the personal investment of time and treasure to obtain it. Recent reporting on numerous polls and hiring statistics demonstrates that employers are increasingly looking for individuals with advanced degrees due to the prevalence of undergraduate degrees attained through new kinds of institutions. This trend has led some to ponder if a master's degree is the new bachelor's degree when it comes to the value that hiring managers are looking for in qualified applicants. What questions do viewpoints such as these raise for younger generations looking to take the next steps as they build their lives? Other recent polls have shown a sharp rise in the number of respondents who view institutions of higher learning as having a negative effect on the country. Regardless of how the numbers break down along the political spectrum, this narrative needs to change, and the change must come from within the higher education structure itself.
Institutions of higher learning must work together to strengthen the bonds of collegiality between one another. Using technology to increase access, affordability, and partnership agreements, institutions can build on each other's strengths. With each generation that follows ours, we see increasing reliance on and understanding of technology. Within the pre-K and K–12 context, technology is being introduced to younger and younger students in the form of tablets and a multitude of internet-connected devices. Having grown up with technology, younger generations increasingly expect to be able to get what they desire quickly and easily—the idea of spending years to attain an advanced degree while accumulating a five- or six-figure debt becomes more and more unsustainable. Roughly five years ago I was asked whether higher education was prepared to meet the technological expectations of students in the 21st century. The answer, in all too many cases, was and remains a resounding "no." As competition grows from online and for-profit institutions offering quick turnarounds for degrees with lower costs and fewer time commitments from students, traditional institutions of higher education must evolve in meaningful ways.
In addition to the youngest members of society, many of those currently in the workforce are also being introduced to new technology and, in some cases, being replaced by it. As manufacturing continues to erode and jobs in the trades trend toward automation, the next generation must be prepared to adapt in this world of constant and fast-paced change. As society moves toward more service-oriented professions and Baby Boomers continue to retire, institutions of higher education have a responsibility to prepare the next generations to confront and adapt to these changes. But first, we as leaders in higher education must adapt ourselves and establish the example of what leadership and learning look like as we move forward in this century and beyond.
How Do We View Our Responsibility?
With these issues of valuation and perception, technological change, and socioeconomic pressures in mind, each of us, as leaders, should strive to have a significant and positive impact throughout our career, no matter the stage we are in, with the persistent hope of helping others achieve their potential through higher education. Many traditional colleges and universities serve as a microcosm of these overarching challenges. The history and adaptability of these institutions and those who walk their halls speak to the resilient nature and significance of higher learning. The historical nature of the institutions themselves, however, carries a risk of becoming fixated on tradition, holding us hostage to the past and impeding innovation.
Information technology can, at times, be difficult to leverage due to issues ranging from the dated infrastructure itself to mind-sets that have been ingrained over years of reluctance to adapt. All of us, if we are honest with ourselves, initially react to the prospect of change with resistance. Change is typically uncomfortable and full of uncertainty. As leaders, we must communicate with others honestly, building relationships based on mutual trust and respect. If we do this successfully, the change that is necessary to ensure our institutions remain viable for years to come can be met with enthusiasm instead of trepidation, with a sense of excitement and anticipation instead of reluctance and hesitation.
What will each of us do throughout our careers to build effective relationships to help us confront the challenges currently impacting our institutions? Typically, we pride ourselves in our ability to collaborate and communicate, but if we assess our effectiveness in these areas, how are we really doing? Are we actively reaching out and building relationships across our campuses? With our peer institutions? When we encounter resistance or misunderstanding, do we leave the situation in frustration and move on, or do we press through and strive for positive outcomes? If we are willing to challenge traditional ways of working and instead begin to genuinely work together, the possibilities that are afforded to us within the field of higher education are possibly greater than any other field of work.
How Effective Will We Choose to Be?
As we consider these questions, challenges, and opportunities, we might determine that these concepts exist in an area above our current career level. Many of us might be looking for formal experiences to help us grow in our understanding of leadership. The most effective professional development program that I have ever had the opportunity to attend was the Leading Change Institute, sponsored by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and EDUCAUSE. As a member of the class of 2018, I found the experience to be extraordinarily rewarding, motivating, and refreshing. The program explored concepts of leadership relevant to our individual campuses and on a global scale while allowing leaders the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience. During the time together, relationships are formed, problems are discussed, solutions are offered, and people come together with the common purpose of helping one another grow and develop as effective and purposeful leaders.
No matter the professional development opportunities we have available to us or the paths we take, keeping these concepts present in our minds as we look for ways to improve process, challenge norms, and embrace change creates the potential for increased opportunities for success and satisfaction within our field. More importantly, it increases the opportunities for the success of those whom we have the privilege to support. Knowing that—no matter where we are in our lives—someone is looking to us should serve as a strong motivator as we strive to continually have a positive impact across our institutions. Every individual connected to our institutions will be looked to, in one way or another, just as we are today. If we work to prepare our next generation with a useful education that serves our common good, we will find ourselves collectively rising above many of the obstacles we encounter in the world today and in the years to come.
Isaac Lopp is Associate Director of User Services, Library and Information Services, at Dickinson College.
© 2018 Isaac Lopp. The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.