April Foolish Moments
The month of April always opens with April Fool’s Day and no question, our country and so much of higher education is experiencing a month of April fool’s moments. There is lots of consternation about the financial risks facing not only colleges and universities, but what will the impact be on so many students and families.
In a recent Inside Higher Ed article, Angel Pérez, president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), said the vague demands on college admissions offices are intentional, and that the administration is “setting institutions up for failure.” He also adds, “Institutions are certainly going to defend their process, but it’s going to be chaotic and it’s going to be noisy … it’s almost like we are seeing SFFA play itself out all over again,” he said. “Is there the potential that it could change some things about the [admissions] process? Absolutely. We just don’t know what that would look like.”
Inside Higher Ed also noted that “the administration wants ‘comprehensive admissions reform’ at colleges. It’s unclear what that means or how it would be enforced, but pressure to avoid scrutiny could affect admissions practices.”
A few weeks later, Inside Higher Ed had more insights via Lynn Pasquerella, the president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). She noted, “The widespread support this statement has garnered demonstrates that despite differences in our respective missions, there is a willingness to speak collectively and act in solidarity to defend the core principles of academic freedom, shared governance, and institutional autonomy foundational to America’s distinctive tradition of liberal education and to our nation’s historic mission of educating for democracy.”
Lawlor Recommends
Today, higher education is definitely experiencing many moments of consternation, concern, and uncertainty. And as we have noted previously, colleges and universities along with all the people involved with higher education are full of concern about the foolish moments lingering in their minds and the possible dose of reality about many things being talked about, discussed, and possibly being implemented nationally or within each state. No matter what, continue to stay positive, embrace innovation, and have a mindset about being edupreneurial. In addition, focus on alumni and friends of the college or university, because the more they know about the institution’s situation, many will be predisposed to helping your college or university overcome obstacles and helping you create enhanced value and more longevity.
