One of the phrases I use most when speaking to a new-comer to higher education marketing is "Colleges and Universities have a bias toward reflection rather than a bias toward action."  For those that come from a corporate environment this lesson typically comes as a shock. Things move slowly in the academy. This is primarily due to the tradition of faculty governance in the process.  Like any other service based enterprise, without the input and buy-in from the employee base, you are not going to get too far. This is especially true in academics where "business models" are not the norm and misunderstood by a great many faculty.

It is with this background that I found the accounts of a recent speech by Margaret Spelling so interesting (Academic Impressions Daily News July 21/Diverse Issues in Higher Education). Ms Spelling spoke in Chicago at the second annual national summit addressing affordability, accountability and accessibility in higher education. In her presentation she called on higher education institutions to "educate 10 million more people by 2012 and particularly focus on those from low-income and minority groups as well as "nontraditional" adult students." She went on to suggest that if "higher education officials don't act, Congress and state lawmakers may step in and force mandates that could be ill-informed and based on politicking." She suggested a deadline to achieve this goal by 2012. (Interestingly enough this goal falls at the end of the next President of the United States first term...I can't help but wonder if this in itself is not "politicking").

While I do not disagree with Margaret Spellings basic thesis that America needs to do a better job of educating its populace. We are woefully behind much of the world and minorities and low income families are not being educated at a rate that will break the cycle of poverty. However, Ms. Spelling should know more than anyone that this is not going to happen in the next four years anymore than when President Bush decided that in his last year in office he would set a goal to bring peace in the Middle East by December.

Do I think this is an important issue? YES!

Do I think this we need to act sooner than later? Absolutely!

Do I think we need to work to make changes before the government does? Always!

Is it as simple as making a goal four years from now that will achieve this vision? Nope!

Education in America is under funded and not given the importance it deserves. We underpay educators in the primary and secondary ranks and fail to address many of the social issues that create barriers to higher education for those in lower economic segments. We need to develop a comprehensive plan that integrates the education across the board and does not put the responsibility on colleges and universities alone. Most of all we might even want to fund it at a fraction of what we spend on defense.  This is a complicated issue that does not have simple solution. The roots of the problem need to be addressed if we want to change the results. Anything more than that is window dressing.

-Tom Hayes