USC has the Right Idea

Promoting higher education is about more than just advocating “College Access for All.”  I think a deeper understanding of the business, ethics and philosophy of higher education is necessary.  Many colleges start new programs or committees to address various issues on diversity, access, prep, etc. all of which are good, but I think only scratch the surface.  USC is taking philosophies on enrollment policies to another level and one that I think will have a deeper impact.  A new research center will take a close look at admissions practices and will bring together scholars, professionals and business leaders.  In an article written by James Grant in the USC Chronicle, the founding executive director Jerome A. Lucido says, “Today in America, a laser light is focused on the point of college access.  Parents and students view the college admission process as a gateway to future prosperity, health, security and satisfaction.  This new research center will look at critical questions, including; ‘Why is the admissions office door the focus of all these hopes and dreams?’  ‘What barriers exist within admissions processes that continue to separate many Americans from the opportunities and benefits of higher education?’ ”

In the article, USC Provost C.L. Max Nikias states, “The mission of this center could not be more relevant or timely.  A university campus is, in our day, far more than a collection of classrooms and laboratories held together by ivy and landscaping.  Today, a university campus houses nothing less than the full range of our society’s ambitions and aspirations.  Enrollment management policies and questions must be addressed vigorously and answered in meaningful ways, if colleges and universities of the United States are to serve our constituencies to the fullest of our ability.”

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