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President Obama's higher education goal is to provide “every American with a quality higher education—whether it's college or technical training.” The work must begin now, despite the current economic downturn, since we believe that doing so is critical to the future competitiveness of our nation. Here we describe the role that we think four-year colleges and universities, particularly public research universities, can play in reaching the President's goal.
Once the most highly educated country in the world, the US is currently falling behind other developed nations in degree attainment. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2006 39 percent of the 25-to-34-year-old population in the United States had tertiary degrees—in contrast to Japan, with its 54.1 percent tertiary attainment rate, or Canada, with its 54.8 percent. The Commission on Access, Admissions, and Success in Higher Education (2008), the State Higher Education Executives' Officers association (SHEEO) (2008), and the Lumina Foundation (2009) all agree that approximately 55 percent of young adults in the US should have an associate's and/or baccalaureate degree by 2025. And that is a moving target. Because our aim is to lead the world, the percentage will have to be revised upward as educational attainment in the leading countries increases.
Peter McPherson is the president for academic affairs at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), formerly known as the National Association of State Land-Grant Colleges and Universities (NASULGC). Before joining APLU, McPherson was president of Michigan State University, and he has served as chairman of the board of the Dow Jones Company.
David Shulenburger the vice president for academic affairs at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), formerly known as the National Association of State Land-Grant Colleges and Universities (NASULGC). Before joining APLU, McPherson was president of Michigan State University, and he has served as chairman of the board of the Dow Jones Company. Shulenburger was the provost of the University of Kansas and a faculty member there.
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