E&W Blog

“How can we better use innovation to lower college costs and increase student success?” was the main question at today’s Education and Workforce Committee hearing.

Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) opened the hearing by discussing how students are failing to finish their degree. “The need for innovation is clear. Across our higher education system, only about 61 percent of first-time students earn a degree within six years—and completion rates are even lower for non-traditional and part-time learners. As a result, nearly 42 million Americans have attended college but left without earning a credential,” he said.


Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) asked about how to best to convince the younger generations that higher education is worth the time and money. “These students have an older brother, an uncle, a sibling, who has taken on a lot of loans who can’t get great work and that is the most effective anti-college marketing that you can possibly conceive,” said Mr. Tade Oyerinde, Chancellor at Campus.edu. “[As institutions] we should figure out ways…to make it profitable for us to serve these students with the supports they need without them having to take on student loans—that [message] resonates really well.”

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) discussed the need to help younger generations compete in the global job market as AI and automation are transforming industries. “Technology is moving rapidly and we’re in a global competition on AI, broadband, [and more] …somehow we have to give young people the opportunity to prepare for the future,” he said.

  In an exchange with Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC), Dr. Kollin Napier, Director of the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN) discussed how federal overreach can hinder innovation. “In general, any sort of mandates will slow the progress of innovation. If there needs to be anything enacted it needs to be clear and pretty open to allow people to innovate in the space,” said Dr. Napier.

Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO) asked about ways colleges can adapt lessons from industry to enhance student success. “If you look at the reasons why students go to college these days, 90 percent of them say that it’s because they want to get a better job, they want to make a better salary, they want to be able to provide for their families…I think that means that all of us in higher ed need to have a closer relationship with the business community, the non-profit community, and say ‘what do you want students to know getting off the commencement stage?’ and ‘what can we do as colleges to prepare them to not have to do a two year internship to learn about whatever industry they’re going into?’” said Dr. Jeffrey Docking, President of Adrian College.

Bottom line: The Committee is committed to innovating higher education to lower costs, better align programs with workforce demands, and equip all students for success in today’s economy.