Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a conversation with Christie Schultz on the Illumination Podcast. To hear the full discussion, listen to the episode here.
Access has always been a cornerstone of higher education. But in today’s rapidly evolving world—where learners span generations, careers and continents—the definition of access is expanding. It’s no longer just about affordability or location. True access now means designing flexible, responsive pathways that meet learners where they are, whenever and however they choose to engage.
The conversation about access and flexibility isn’t new—but its urgency is. As institutions face declining enrollments and rising learner expectations, flexibility has become the new equity imperative. It’s about ensuring that every learner—whether a working parent, a first-generation student or a mid-career professional—can find an on-ramp to education that fits their life.
From “Access to Education” to “Education That’s Accessible”
Historically, higher education’s mission was to “bring the university to the people.” That phrase, coined during the rise of extension education in the early 20th century, feels more relevant than ever. Continuing education and online programs have carried that mission forward, allowing institutions to reach beyond geographic boundaries and traditional student demographics.
Today, that spirit of outreach is manifesting in flexible models of delivery—online, hybrid, evening, asynchronous, microcredential-based and competency-driven. The goal isn’t just to deliver education everywhere; it’s to deliver it in ways that are equitable, adaptable and aligned with how people actually live and learn.
In this reimagined landscape, flexibility itself is a form of access. The more institutions can adapt programs across time, pace and modality, the more they can truly “bring the university to the people”—not just as a slogan, but as a systemic design principle.
Learning, Earning and the 60-Year Curriculum
The modern learner’s journey no longer follows a straight line from classroom to career. Instead, it’s an ongoing cycle—learn, earn, re-learn, re-earn. The phrase “learner to earner” captures this fluid movement, but it’s only part of the story. Many individuals today are learners and earners simultaneously. They’re upskilling through microcredentials while working full-time. They’re earning graduate certificates between career transitions. They’re lifelong learners in the truest sense.
This reality demands flexibility not only in course scheduling, but also in how credentials stack, transfer and ladder into larger academic goals. The emerging concept of the 60-year curriculum—lifelong learning that spans an entire career, an idea developed by Christopher Dede and John Richards—embodies this vision. It calls on institutions to build flexible infrastructures that make it easy for students to re-enter education at any point in life, seamlessly and purposefully.
Balancing Tradition with Agility
Higher education is rooted in tradition. Degrees remain essential for many professional fields, and their value endures. But the binary choice between degree and non-degree is dissolving. Instead, higher ed leaders are realizing that it’s not an either/or proposition—it’s both/and.
Flexibility doesn’t threaten the degree; it enhances it. Certificates, microcredentials and short-term programs can create meaningful pathways into degree programs or help graduates re-skill later in life. The institutions thriving in this new era aren’t abandoning their academic foundations; they’re expanding them. They’re integrating continuing education and workforce development into the core institutional strategy, not leaving them at the periphery.
This evolution requires courage. It means questioning long-held assumptions about academic calendars, program structures and what it means to be “enrolled.” But it also opens doors to new learners, new partnerships and new possibilities for institutional growth.
The Human Side of Flexibility
At its heart, flexibility is about empathy. It’s about recognizing that today’s learners aren’t just students—they’re caregivers, employees, entrepreneurs and community leaders. They need institutions that understand their complexity, respect their time and offer choices that make education attainable, not aspirational.
Flexibility also builds belonging. When learners feel that a university is designed to fit their reality rather than force them into a mold, engagement rises. Completion rates rise. Confidence rises. That’s not just a win for the student; it’s a win for the institution’s mission.
Technology plays a crucial role in this transformation. From intuitive scheduling tools and online learning environments to data-driven engagement platforms, the right digital infrastructure can make flexibility scalable. But technology is only as effective as the philosophy behind it. The institutions that will define the next era of higher ed are those that see flexibility not as an operational feature, but as an expression of their commitment to inclusion and access.
Bringing It All Together
Higher education stands at a pivotal moment. The landscape is more complex, the competition more intense, and the learner population more diverse than ever before. Yet the path forward is clear: institutions that embed flexibility into every layer of their operations—from program design to policy to pedagogy—will lead the way.
They will be the ones who not only offer access, but live it.
The future of access in higher education isn’t about lowering barriers; it’s about reshaping them. It’s about transforming flexibility from a logistical convenience into an ethical commitment. Because when education can flex to meet the learner, everyone gains—from the individual who earns a new credential to the institution that strengthens its role as a lifelong learning hub.
That’s how higher education fulfills its promise: by bringing the university to the people—wherever they are, and wherever they’re going next.
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