Episode 13: Q&A with Dr. Jim Henderson, President of the University of Louisiana System
“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” - Eric Hoffer, an American moral and social philosopher.
Historically, Louisiana has fallen short of other states in educational attainment. Socio-economic differences leave many young people ill-prepared for college and many adults unable to complete degrees.
On this episode of Illuminate Higher Education, Dr. Jim Henderson, President of the University of Louisiana System since 2017, joins podcast host Kiran Kodithala to discuss the evolution of higher education as it relates to Louisianans and today’s rapidly changing socio-economic environment.
Explore the highlights of the conversation in this brief Q&A, then listen to the full episode for more details.
Q: What is Compete Louisiana (LA) and how does it work?
In Louisiana, 653,000 people have completed some college but never finished their degree. What is happening? Countless obstacles can derail someone from completing their degree. The sheer cost of higher education is a large factor, but positive opportunities like job offers can also get in the way.
These adults now have more obligations than ever before. Stopping what they are doing and coming back to a traditional college environment to finish their degree is not going to work for them.
Compete LA is an intervention. It’s an educational experience that eliminates as many barriers as possible to obtaining a degree. We cut through red tape to give working adults their time back, so they can focus exclusively on finishing what they started.
The vast majority of our programs are offered online, built on a university that Louisianans know and love. It’s in the community, providing students with a support structure in a geographically accessible place. We’ve found that our learners need that extra support, even if it’s just psychological support, to achieve their goals. Another distinguishing feature of Compete LA is the coaching program. From the moment a student expresses interest to the day they graduate, a coach serves as the single point of contact with the university to answer questions and ensure needs are being met.
Q: How can we build a better pipeline between high school and college?
About 12 years ago, I was approached by a group of frustrated teachers. They kept seeing great students move through high school without any plan for what should come next. When asked, “What will you do after you graduate,” they had no response. In many cases, they did not know about taking the ACT examination or filing FAFSA forms.
Students who grow up in families where multiple generations have attended college might take this knowledge for granted. For example, I remember one story about a junior in high school with excellent grades and test scores. When asked about college, she responded that no one had ever told her she could go to college.
We come up with many solutions that target students early on and after high school, such as the work Compete Louisiana is doing. But there are already masses of students in the pipeline that still don’t have the information they need. Schools need interventions along the way to ensure students are knowledgeable about what opportunities are available. They need resources to help prepare them for taking advantage of those opportunities.
Q: From your perspective, what can we expect from the future of higher education?
The future of education is about accessibility, student success, and meaningfulness. We’ve discussed the first two throughout the podcast. Currently, the University of Louisiana System is going through the process of examining our core curriculum for meaningfulness and asking questions. What are the core competencies? Are we articulating them well? Are we identifying those competencies and assessing their attainment in multiple ways beyond just a test?
A degree that cost me time, energy, and money must be a testament that I have the knowledge, skills, and abilities that the degree represents. A degree will not lose its value if we can articulate and define what that value is.
We will see more and more people pursuing education not just because they want the next job, but because they realize higher education is a pathway to great careers and it makes people adaptable for whatever that next career might be. Career innovations will continue to emerge at an advancing rate. We must prepare adaptable learners for whatever the future might hold.
It is a blessing to be a part of this work because it is transformational both individually and collectively.
Learn more about Dr. Jim Henderson on LinkedIn or Twitter @DrJBHenderson.
Visit ULSystem.edu for more about the University of Louisiana System and CompeteLA.org to learn more about Compete Louisiana.
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