Are higher ed institutions failing to innovate? George Siemens, who coined the term "MOOC," doesn't think so, detailing his stance in a headline-grabbing blog post lambasting the disruption narrative being sold in the space in recent years. Still, he conceded, traditional colleges and universities don't have as much understanding as they should regarding the dramatic changes on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled her $350 billion proposal for debt-free public higher education, which would also include additional support for innovative higher ed alternatives. However, her plan and others like it could have far-reaching consequences — particularly for private four-year institutions.
In other news, it turns out higher ed also has a branding problem, with new Gallup research and polling showing that generic mission and vision statements make institutions hard to discern from one another.
Be sure to check out our feature on improvements necessitated by increasing demand for international students and more in this week's most-read Education Dive posts!
- Man behind 'MOOC' not impressed by disruption narrative: George Siemens, who coined the term 'MOOC,' challenged the narrative that colleges have not innovated in centuries after a recent White House summit.
- Clinton unveils $350B plan for free public higher ed: The far-reaching plan incorporates a range of existing proposals, focusing largely on the issue of student debt and investment in higher ed.
- Few higher education institutions have a unique brand: Generic mission and vision statements coupled with unrelated outcome reporting leaves many colleges and universities coming up short.
- Debt-free college plans could have far-reaching consequences: Private colleges would see greater competition under the proposals, leading to less campus diversity and the closure of small liberal arts schools.
- Increasing demand for international students calls for career services improvements: With budgets and enrollment goals progressively dependent on foreign students, colleges and universities seek ways to increase their appeal.
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