This is a governor who understands the economic pressures of today, as well as the work force imperatives bearing down on his state into the future. It’s an exciting move that exponentially increases higher education access for young Tennesseans, but it leaves adults out in the cold.
Here are a few of the reasons why this is a bold strategy for Tennessee:
1. The California Experience
California has been desperately trying to untangle its higher education promises from reality for the past two decades.
California’s education leaders tried incentivizing high school graduates to do their best for automatic slots at California state universities. However, the program backfired into deficits, waiting lists and defaults into an already over-burdened community college structure. Tennessee will be able to learn from these mistakes California experienced.
2. Widening Access
Equally important to making community college education and training open to recent high school grads is the opportunity to make it open to reach more economically-disadvantaged and first-generation students.
3. History of Innovation
Governor Haslam, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), the Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee system have a successful track record of implementing new policies from performance-based funding, improving credit transfer pathways and agreeing to a statewide prior learning assessment approach (placing value on college-level learning acquired outside of academia).
The details of the Education Promise will need to be worked out, but respectfully, let’s hope the promise includes:
- Access to blended and online courses, complementing daytime offerings and access for rural citizens;
- More evening and weekend courses for adult students with busy schedules;
- Extensive and thoughtful learning outcomes and competencies that make developing learning plans (for credentials or degrees) more meaningful and valuable for learners;
- An assessment approach that assures academic integrity;
- Career maps;
- A mechanism to enable working adults to complete 60 credits, or a two-year degree, over time (for example, allowing for part-time attendance).
The Only Downside
The Education Promise does not meet the needs of an equally important Tennessee constituency: working adults. Imagine all of the former Tennessee students (at both two- and four-year schools) who were unable to complete their degrees. The Lumina Foundation found that 22 percent of adults aged 25 to 64 fall into this category.[1] This “promise” may make it possible for them to return and complete certificates and degrees.
Now, imagine all of the Tennessee adults who were unable to afford to attend, or weren’t ready to attend directly after high school, who may now choose to go to college — thereby netting a positive impact for their employers, families and communities. The Lumina Foundation found that this description encapsulates a third of Tennessee’s adults.[2]
Wouldn’t it be great if “free at last” applied to all of Tennessee’s citizens who are looking for family-supporting jobs and career opportunities? Perhaps, as the Education Promise is refined, money could be found to help adults too.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this program is a great step in the right direction and could mark the beginning of great changes in postsecondary access and attainment. Thank you, Governor Haslam, for your bold and visionary leadership. Your message of free postsecondary education moves the idea from a dream to a possibility.
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References
[1] The Lumina Foundation, “A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education: Tennessee,” 2012. Accessed at http://www.luminafoundation.org/stronger_nation/report/#tennessee
[2] Ibid
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