Drive

For US colleges and universities, the key to turning around falling enrolment is to directly respond to concerns about affordability, accessibility and ...

Our work as educational leaders is to continually assess how we can better support our students through and beyond their education, to experiment with new approaches that better meet their needs. If students graduate and have not transitioned to employment in their chosen field, then we have failed. From day one, we must instil strong career readiness skills in our students, so they thrive not only during their time in higher education but continue to do so once they graduate. [0Flipping the university admissions process on its head](/campus/flipping-university-admissions-process-its-head) Why should it always be students who seek out their ‘best fit’ campus? For example, the majority of the students we serve are from low-income backgrounds (70 per cent Pell Grant receiving), students of colour (70 per cent black and Latinx) and first-generation college-goers (about 70 per cent). With an arms-wide-open approach to change, paired with a clear end goal of supporting our students through and beyond their education, higher ed leaders can create transformative spaces (both physically and virtually) that directly address and alleviate the most significant barriers faced by aspiring college students today. At NLU we have strived to maintain one of the lowest tuition rates in the state of Illinois, with an annual sticker price of under $11,000 (£9,023). We also provide comprehensive wraparound services, such as mental health counselling and an on-campus food pantry, to ensure that students are getting the support they need in their financial, emotional and social lives as well. But educational leaders must recognise the importance of accessibility in all its aspects. At NLU, we pair up students with a “success coach” who provides individualised, focused guidance throughout their academic journey. But we must be willing to rethink, restructure and rebuild programmes and practices that may have worked once but no longer meet the needs of today’s students. Accessibility needs to be paramount to everything we do.