STRATEGIC VISION

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Learning Perspective

Realigning the Focus Of West Virginia’s Investment in Higher Education

The Current Situation

• Most public funding goes largely toward "seat time"

• Lack of clarity about what "success" in higher education means

• Uneven response to instructional productivity issue

• Questions about the public value created by higher education - perception that the private value that accrues to the individual is far greater that the value/benefit created for society

Concerns

• Lack of clarity about learning and thinking expectations and goals confuses students, parents, business, government

• Failure to align funding to achieving learning and thinking outcomes limits the performance of institutions of higher learning

• Acute need to improve productivity[1] at a time of diminishing funding for higher educati

A Good Time to Consider Change

• The ongoing debate in conjunction with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act in Congress is focusing on strategies aligned to compel greater "learning productivity"

•   Others nations are beginning to move in this direction

• United Kingdom higher education moving all state funding to academic achievement

• European Union is formulating a comprehensive overhaul of the higher education system in their member nations to become the best in the world

Ideas

• Graduates must be prepared for a seamless transition to life and career, possessing the requisite foundations and attributes expected of an educated citizenry. They will:

•  Know how to participate, adapt and lead effectively in a multicultural and dynamic global society.

• Possess the in-depth knowledge and well-honed integrative thinking skills (e.g., critical, resourceful, adaptive and inventive thinking) required to deal with the complex challenges of modern life and the changing global landscape.

• Exhibit life-long learning strategies and competencies that will enable them to adapt and reinvent themselves as career skills become outmoded and new opportunities arise.

• Demonstrate well-developed personal and interpersonal skills, moral/ethical acumen, the discipline to act conscientiously and assume civic and community responsibilities incumbent upon an educated citizenry.