According to its website, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) is a Washington D.C. based organization dedicated to promoting access and success in higher education (“About IHEP,” 2010, para. 1). It is a nonprofit, independent organization focusing on providing research in various areas of higher education including: access and success, accountability, diversity, finance, global impact (“About IHEP,” 2010, para. 2). Every year since its inception in 1993, IHEP has produced numerous policy reports and studies on these issues. The 2009 publication titled Financing Higher Education: A Myriad of Problems, A Myriad of Solutions is one such report.
Financing Higher Education: A Myriad of Problems, A Myriad of Solutions focuses on the large increase in demand for higher education worldwide. While this increase in demand for higher education is a characteristic of well-developed or developing nations, it is also one that makes huge demands of a nation’s economy. IHEP’s report gives a detailed account of how different countries are dealing with the economic uncertainty that has developed as a by-product of the demand growth. The countries considered include Mongolia, South Africa, Ukraine, and the United States. Each country’s current higher education funding policies are discussed and analyzed. After assessing each country’s academic growth, current funding policies, and economic demands, the report makes “financial policy recommendations” to each. However, the report makes it clear that it is not trying to “provide comprehensive solutions to the funding challenges in these four countries” (Lkhamsuren, Dromina-Voloc, & Kimmie, 2009, p. 3), but to promote future dialogue and investigation on the issue of higher education finance across the globe.
As mentioned above, IHEP acknowledges the differences that exist between the countries examined in this report as well as the differences in the various economic demands present in each. However, the authors do point out the many common challenges that face global higher education. The report is concluded with some suggestions on how best to address those common challenges in the interest of reaching a common goal: “access and equity in the higher education sector” (Lkhamsuren, Dromina-Voloc, & Kimmie, 2009, p. 16). Among the suggestions to policymakers are:
· Perform an in-depth needs analysis
· Seek political support from constituents
· Ensure effective implementation of new policies (p. 16)
Reference
About IHEP. (2010). Retrieved October 11, 2011, from http://www.ihep.org/About/about-IHEP.cfm
Institute for Higher Education Policy. (2009, June). Financing higher education: A myriad of problems, a myriad of solutions (Issue Brief No. 05200906). Washington, D.C: Munkh-Erdene Lkhamsuren, Nataliya Dromina-Voloc, & Reidwaan Kimmie
I think this is particularly important in our current economic times! If our current system is not working as it was initially designed to, and public policymakers cannot figure out a new solution to the problem, then our best solution would be to look at other financial policy models around the world. If there is one that seems to be working the best, then see if we can shape it to fit our nation.
ReplyDeleteK. Schaefer-Mumiukha
As the downturn of the economic system was global, it is my belief that the educational downturn would have the same reverb effect and we would see some of the same instances no matter the place in the world.
ReplyDeleteWe must gain an understanding that we are more interconnected than at any other time before current day for when we thought we were so different.
I wonder if the numbers were on the same level - is the amount of financing equal in each country, how many students are enrolled in the colleges in each nation, etc.? Is there a balance that would make the reports equal given the countries that are represented in the report. I guess it shows how each country is affected individually, but to use them as examples for the other, it would be interesting to try to compare each to the other.
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