A New Playbook for Higher Education

Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker, President and CEO of CSU Global, the first and only 100 percent online, nonprofit, independently accredited state university, has shared her roadmap for negotiating the changing higher education paradigm in her book, “Impacting the Future of Higher Education.” Takeda-Tinker shares her road-tested model of career-relevant, successful, academically authoritative online education for nontraditional students.

Q. Why did you decide to write the book?

Because it’s time has come. In the decade since the Colorado State University Board of Governors approved the creation of the university in 2007, we have accumulated eight years of statistically significant, valid data demonstrating our success in putting forth a new higher education model that makes sense for nontraditional students, those who seek career relevant degrees and certifications, and provider institutions as well.   

Traditional higher education has reached a critical crossroad. American perception is      questioning higher education models, values, and workplace relevance. Nation-wide, institutions are struggling with declining enrollment and ongoing reductions in funding.

At CSU Global, we’ve clearly shown that institutions can effectively rethink how they are serving enrollees by understanding student niches and needs. They could not only attract, but retain and educate more students. With our alternative model, we have seen that students are successful in reaching academic goals, and the institution wins as well, because they have students that stay to degree completion.

Q. What is one takeaway you want readers to gain from your book?

Higher education can be affordable and accessible while meeting dynamic and diverse student needs. But if we’re trying to actually ensure that Americans can earn a living wage and be a part of the middle class or higher, that same education must be deliberately focused and designed to lead to work in growing industries. Curricula must provide the skills knowledge, and adaptability needed for new types of jobs and industries of the future.

Q. Do you think online education will play a part in rebuilding the American middle class – contribute to a ‘leveling’ of the playing field?

For sure, the benefits of online education today is that it can prepare students for workplace success as they learn to use different technologies, communicate, collaborate virtually with diverse stakeholders, and strengthen self-discipline and self-advocacy skills. The technology-driven, global marketplace requires those abilities, and online students master them, which can then facilitate new jobs or higher positions at higher levels of pay.

On a related note, we see that low-skill jobs are already starting to be automated with robots and artificial intelligence. And while middle-skill jobs will continue to require humans, higher education prompts the development of critical thinking, innovation, and creativity, which are necessary to programming robotic technology and creating new industries to utilize the benefits of artificial intelligence. Organizations employing middle-skill workers with continue to need those with management and leadership education and skills.

Q. Data has been incredibly valuable to CSU Global program planning and development. How can a data-driven environment still account for the “human” element?

Data helps provide guideposts along the journey to goals, but ultimately, it is human interpretation and application of data that paves the road leading to success. We collect and analyze hundreds of data points every month, but the data are byproducts of our human stakeholder behaviors –  how they perform, where they were challenged, how they improved, etc. So the data is driven by human behavior, and then it is interpreted by humans before it is used by humans for improvements and innovation.

Q. Could you speak to the crucial role of acquiring critical thinking skills when preparing to enter any industry workforce sector?

Critical thinking is essential to professional and academic success. It’s the ability to analyze  information for decision-making. It’s also the ability to learn, rather than memorize information. Critical thinkers are more able to effectively adapt to change, understand other points of view, and make informed decision.

Professionally, those trained in critical thinking are more able to self-direct, self-correct, and think independently. Critical thinkers have developed evaluation skills as well, and are better problem solvers because of their capacity to innovate and creatively find solutions that account for multiple factors. All these skills contribute to career success in any chosen field, and give graduates the professional ability to contribute on higher, more complex levels.

The book fully describes this CSU Global development process which ultimately rendered a model for rigorous, career-driven education that works for nontraditional students, faculty, and the institution. Because we’ve put so much effort into gathering outcome and success data over time, then adjusting curricula based on that data, we’ve created a new, fully-functional higher education paradigm. But a healthy system must continually evolve. Collecting and interpreting data, and revising curricula based on industry changes, is critical to the success of this model, which must be dynamic and responsive to student and industry needs. As the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, all these components add up to a proven system, but to be successful in the long-term, institutions that adapt this model must be willing to continually evolve with the changing needs of students and markets.

Impacting the Future of Higher Education: Insight Into a New Model That Works for Students, Academic Institutions, and America is available for purchase on Amazon.