By David Shein, Red Hook, NY
Looking at Higher Education Through the Eyes of Students
After more than 30 years working in higher education, I have learned that colleges are very good at preserving what they value. That can be a strength. Traditions, academic standards, and institutional identity matter. They create continuity and help define what makes a college unique.
At the same time, I have learned that institutions can sometimes hold onto familiar practices longer than they should. The question I have often found myself asking is this: Are we preserving something because it is valuable, or because it is comfortable?
Higher education has always changed. The students entering our classrooms today are not the same students who entered twenty or thirty years ago. They bring different experiences, different responsibilities, and different expectations. If colleges want to continue serving students well, they have to be willing to examine how they operate and why they do things the way they do.
Understanding the Students We Serve
Students Are Balancing More Than Academics
One of the biggest changes I have seen is the complexity of students’ lives. The traditional image of a college student living on campus, attending classes full time, and focusing primarily on academics no longer represents every student experience.
Many students work while attending college. Some support families. Some commute. Some are the first in their families to attend college and are learning how to navigate an unfamiliar system without a roadmap. These realities shape how students experience higher education.
Sometimes we underestimate how much effort it takes for students to simply understand the institution. There are rules, expectations, and processes that may seem obvious to those who have worked in colleges for years but can feel completely unfamiliar to someone entering that environment for the first time.
This is where I think colleges need to ask better questions. What barriers are students encountering that we do not see? What parts of our systems make sense to us but create confusion for them?
Moving Beyond the Traditional College Model
Adapting Without Losing Purpose
When people talk about the future of higher education, conversations often become focused on technology, online learning, or changes in enrollment. Those topics matter, but I think the deeper question is about purpose.
What are colleges trying to accomplish, and are our structures helping them achieve that goal?
Adapting does not mean abandoning everything that came before. I do not believe that online learning replaces the value of a classroom discussion or the relationships formed on a campus. There are aspects of in-person education that remain incredibly important.
However, refusing to adapt can create its own problems. Students today have different needs, and colleges need to find ways to meet those needs while maintaining academic quality. The challenge is finding the balance.
Rethinking Student Support Systems
Making the Hidden Curriculum Visible
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that student success depends on more than academic ability. Students also need to understand how college works.
This is often called the hidden curriculum. It includes knowing how to approach a professor, how to use office hours, how to interpret a syllabus, or how to seek help when struggling. Students who grow up around higher education often learn these things naturally. Others do not.
Colleges have an opportunity to make these expectations clearer. We should not assume students already know how to navigate the institution. We should teach them.
Creating Connected Support
Another area where colleges can improve is the way support services are organized. Students should not have to figure out whether they need tutoring, advising, career support, or another resource and then navigate multiple offices to find help.
At Lehman College and at Bard College, I worked on ‘one stop shop’ initiatives like Instructional Support Services, the Learning Commons and the Center for Student Life & Advising because I believed support needed to be more integrated and accessible. The best systems are those that make it easier for students to get assistance before a challenge becomes a crisis.
The Role of Technology in Higher Education
Using Technology Thoughtfully
Technology will continue to shape higher education, but I think we need to be careful about how we approach it. Technology is not in itself a threat or a solution. The question is whether it improves the learning experience.
Online learning, artificial intelligence, and other tools can create opportunities for access and innovation. They can also create challenges if institutions ban them or adopt them without thinking carefully about their purpose.
I have seen this conversation before with online education. Some people immediately viewed it as a threat to traditional learning. Others saw it as a complete replacement. The reality is more complicated. It is a tool, and its value depends on how thoughtfully we use it.
Preparing Students for a Changing World
Teaching Adaptability
The world that students enter after graduation will continue to change. Colleges cannot prepare students for every specific challenge they will face, but they can help students develop the ability to learn, adapt, and think critically.
This has always been one of the strengths of higher education. The goal is not just to transfer information. It is to help students become independent thinkers who can approach unfamiliar problems with confidence.
Continuing to Listen
If there is one lesson I would emphasize, it is the importance of listening. Institutions need to listen to students, faculty, staff, and communities. The best changes often come from paying attention to what people are experiencing every day.
We do not always get it right. I certainly have not gotten everything right throughout my career. But I have learned that meaningful improvement begins with curiosity and a willingness to ask difficult questions.
The Future is Bright
The future of higher education will not be defined by one technology, one policy, or one new approach. It will be shaped by whether colleges are willing to understand their students and adapt accordingly.
The institutions that thrive will be those that maintain their values while remaining open to change. They will recognize that supporting students requires more than offering courses. It requires creating environments where students can find guidance, connection, and opportunity.
After decades in this field, I still believe deeply in the purpose of higher education. The work is challenging, but the goal remains the same: helping students discover what they are capable of achieving.