The Road Ahead for Higher Ed

Gordon Gee is President of Ohio State University which is one of the largest schools in the US. This Inside Higher Ed article, called Gordon Gee's Call for 'Reinvention' of Higher Ed points out some of the highlights of a recent speech by Gee. I see two points worth noting for staff in student affairs:

• Interdisciplinary Approach
• Importance of Community Colleges
  

The interdisciplinary comments could have a direct impact on student affairs staff in that this presents an opportunity for work outside the classroom to increase in value, especially when Gee is quoted as saying "that faculty members need to be rewarded for contributions broadly, not just those that advance their own fields."

Gee's prediction that “the drivers of our future will be this nation’s community colleges,” speaks to the increasing importance of applied learning. Again, this line of thinking supports the focus on learning outside the classroom that student affairs staff are so heavily involved in.