The U.S. Department of Education recently announced its newest attempt to develop a list designed to call out higher ed institutions with poor outcomes and lower return on investment for graduates. Following in the steps of Gainful Employment (see Episode 15 of EdUp Insights) and the College Scorecard, the government seeks once again to provide a way to rank institutions according to the value they provide. Here’s the rub: Value based on what? The range of financial and, importantly, non-financial benefits of higher education is vast and hotly debated. But more to the point, why are these government interventions necessary? They clearly do not fix the problem, and don’t address the real issue: Accountability. There is no consensus on what outcomes need to be measured and why. That is, there is no consensus on the definition of the value of higher education. So, if there is to be accountability, we have to ask, “Accountability for what?” and “Accountability to whom?” Good luck with that.
EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network
