NEWS: Calhoun: 'We Need To Educate The Public On Higher Ed's Value'

(Kirk A. Calhoun, UT-Tyler President. Source: UT-Tyler website)

UT-Tyler President Kirk Calhoun identified public perception of higher education as a challenge for the university in an interview with KVUT on May 31. 

"One of the things that I believe we ought to do better in higher education is educating the public to the benefits of higher education," Calhoun said. 

Radio interviewer Mike Landess asked Calhoun if there was anything UT-Tyler could be doing better.

Calhoun's comments follow reports of the public's declining perception of higher education in recent years. For example, a August 2022 NPR article reported that an annual survey by non-partisan think tank New America found the share of Americans who believe higher education has a positive impact on the country fell by 14 percentage points since 2020.

"Many of the report's findings have remained stable over time," NPR's author Pooja Salhotra wrote "– for example, the general consensus that post-secondary education offers a good return on investment for students remains. But there's been a steep decline in the overall perception of higher education's impact on the country."

Co-author to New America's survey Sophie Nguyen told NPR the main driver to the decline is economic. "When people started to feel the effects of gas price increases...people started to feel that an economic recession is actually coming," Nguyen told NPR. 

While 73% of Democrats believe higher ed has a positive impact on the country, only 37% of Republicans felt the same, according to the survey.

Also, according to UT-Tyler Faculty Senate's February minutes, UT-System Chancellor James B. Milken also spoke of higher education's public perception at a Faculty Advisory Council meeting this spring.

Faculty Senate President Harrison Ndetan asked UT-Tyler faculty for input on how to improve the public's perception during the senate's February meeting, according to its minutes. So, apparently UT-System and its stakeholders are aware of some of the public's declining perception of higher ed.

Calhoun told KVUT, "Whether it’s our community college system or our four year universities. Our legislators have provided a tremendous amount of support and investment in our great public universities, but I feel that we have a responsibility to keep proving our value."

To read Calhoun's full comments or to listen to the interview, click here to visit KVUT's website.

Twitter: @Jhescock12

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Feature Image: University of Texas at Tyler website.

 

 

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