In Our View: Education Evolves

The evolving nature of higher education is on full display this week as students at Clark College christen a new school year.

As Vancouver’s two-year college opens its doors, welcoming 12,835 students, the numbers bear out the diverse role that a community college can play. According to Columbian reporter Susan Parrish, 73 percent of Clark students are first-generation college students; more than 30 percent are people of color; 200 are international students; and 2,000 are Running Start enrollees — high school students who are accruing college credit while also completing their secondary studies.

Each of those numbers reflect a decades-long societal push to increase higher-education opportunities and to paint college as essential for a successful adulthood. According to a federal interagency report earlier this year, college enrollment has risen from 26 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in 1980, to 41 percent in 2012. The rise in those numbers is particularly dramatic in the case of minority students; among blacks, for example, enrollment has gone from 19 percent to 37 percent over the past 30 years.

So, more and more people are seeking a college education as such training becomes more and more essential for competing in a global marketplace. Long gone are the days when a high school graduate could go down to the local factory or the local mill and land a job that would turn into a secure long-term career. The demise of such middle-class, blue-collar jobs has altered the educational landscape as well as the economic landscape.

That is not to suggest that college is right for everybody, or that college is the only path to financial security. As Adam Ozimek wrote for Forbes.com last May, “What we see is that examples of decent jobs without a college degree exist, and on the other side of the ledger there are also examples of college degrees that really are a huge waste of money.” So true. An elite, private college — or an undergraduate degree in, say, philosophy — would not be the right fit for everybody, nor is it necessary for a successful professional career.

But the case in favor of a college education remains strong, as studies consistently demonstrate that graduates on average have much greater earning potential than those with only a high school diploma. In 2013, according to the U.S. Labor Department, the pay gap between college graduates and everybody else reached a record level, with Americans who hold a four-year degree earning 98 percent more per hour than those without a degree. In addition, college is about a great deal more than potential earnings. For many people, it is an important time of growth, maturation and development that helps them become productive adults.

Since being founded in 1933 as a private two-year school called Vancouver Junior College, Clark College has played a role in that. Serving students of varying ages, backgrounds and educational needs, the school has adjusted its approach over the years to meet the changing needs of the community — such as with the rise of the Running Start program. As Steve Banks, a 45-year-old business owner from Washougal, told The Columbian: “I want to expand my knowledge so I can make good, educated choices. Business law was helpful last year. I’m sure my accounting class this quarter will help, too.”

It is likely that you could survey Clark’s 12,835 students this fall and find 12,835 different stories of what they are looking for in an education. One of the benefits of a community college is that it is flexible enough to accommodate them all.