Education and the Development of Knowledge
Projects in the Education and the Development of Knowledge program area inform policy and practice in support of high-quality, lifetime educational opportunities for all Americans. The program area continues the Academy’s enduring focus on the vital role education and knowledge development play in our nation and in our world. From advancing equitable educational outcomes to leveraging new developments in the learning sciences and digital technologies to questioning how domestic and international scholarly work may be affected by advances in machine learning, the Education and the Development of Knowledge program area – through commissions, projects, convenings, and publications – draws upon scholars and practitioners from various fields and disciplines to explore the conditions that foster the creation, transfer, and preservation of knowledge in a global context.
Education and the Development of Knowledge
Program Advisory Committee
Lawrence Bacow
Harvard University
Deborah Ball
University of Michigan
Philip Bredesen
former Governor of Tennessee
Roland G. Fryer
Harvard University
Howard Gardner
Harvard Graduate School of Education
David L. Lee
Clarity Partners, LP
Richard Light
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Kathleen McCartney
Smith College
Paula D. McClain
Duke University
Michael McPherson
formerly, Spencer Foundation
Arthur Rock
Arthur Rock & Company
Paul Sagan
Akamai Technologies
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco
University of California, Los Angeles
Beverly Tatum
Spelman College
PROJECT
Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education
Following two years of sustained deliberations grounded in reviews of innovative practices, policies, and studies and informed by meetings with state and federal policy-makers, students and faculty members, and scores of experts from around the country, the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education released its final report – The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America – in late November 2017. In the report, the Commission offers a comprehensive national strategy that encompasses three broad recommendations:
- Ensure that all students have high-quality educational experiences;
- Increase overall completion rates and reduce inequities among different student populations at every level of undergraduate education; and
- Manage college costs and improve the affordability of undergraduate education.
In the fourth and final section of the report, the Commission takes a more speculative approach, looking to the future through the lens of several factors, including the country’s level of social cohesion; the characteristics of the workforce; the level of access to information and educational technologies; and unforeseen natural or human-generated global challenges. The report ends by suggesting topics for further research as we work toward a strengthened and more affordable undergraduate education for a greater share of Americans.
Following the release of the final report in Washington, D.C., the report was covered in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education; in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times; and in interviews with Commission members on nationally syndicated radio shows on stations wamu and wgbh. Cochair Roger Ferguson was also interviewed at length for The Wall Street Journal’s “The Future of: Education” event.
Commission members have discussed the report with academic leaders and policy-makers across the country, including with 21 Congressional offices; with the Department of Education; at the annual meetings of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the American Council on Education (ACE); at the Yale Higher Education Leadership Summit; with the National Science Board; with the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; at TIAA’s Annual Client Forum; at the Arizona State University + Global Silicon Valley (ASU+GSV) Summit; at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education’s Annual Student Success Summit; at the Fish Family Foundation; at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; at the Enrollment Planning Network’s annual meeting; at the National Science Foundation Advisory Meeting; and at a Wisconsin-focused meeting hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. Other presentations and state-focused meetings are planned for the year ahead. Additional content is also being developed to further discussions with various audiences, including report briefs for state policy-makers and higher education institutions and a forthcoming issue of Dædalus on undergraduate education.
The full body of the Commission’s work seeks to elevate and influence the national dialogue about undergraduate education; bring attention to the priorities identified in the final report; act in concert with and support the efforts underway at other organizations and institutions; and help lead toward a series of changes over time. The Academy is grateful for Vartan Gregorian’s encouragement and for support from Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Commission Chairs
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.
TIAA
Michael S. McPherson
formerly, Spencer Foundation
Commission Members
Joseph E. Aoun
Northeastern University
Deborah Loewenberg Ball
University of Michigan
Sandy Baum
Urban Institute
Rebecca M. Blank
University of Wisconsin-Madison
John Seely Brown
formerly, Xerox PARC Research
Wesley G. Bush
Northrop Grumman
Carl A. Cohn
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.
Purdue University
John J. DeGioia
Georgetown University
Jonathan F. Fanton
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Robert Hormats
Kissinger Associates; formerly, U.S. Department of State
Freeman A. Hrabowski III
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Jennifer L. Jennings
New York University
Jeremy Johnson
Andela
Sherry Lansing
Sherry Lansing Foundation
Nicholas Lemann
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
J. Michael Locke
formerly, Rasmussen, Inc.
Monica Lozano
College Futures Foundation
Gail O. Mellow
LaGuardia Community College
Diana Natalicio
University of Texas at El Paso
Hilary Pennington
Ford Foundation
Beverly Daniel Tatum
Spelman College
Shirley M. Tilghman
Princeton University
Michelle Weise
Strada Education Network
Data Advisory Group Members
Tom Bailey
Teachers College, Columbia University
Sandy Baum
Urban Institute
Ronald G. Ehrenberg
Cornell University
Bridget Terry Long
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Judith Scott-Clayton
Teachers College, Columbia University
Project Staff
Francesca Purcell
Natoschia Scruggs
Beth Niegelsky
Funder
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Project Publications \\ Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education
A Primer on the College Student Journey (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2016)
The Complex Universe of Alternative Postsecondary Credentials and Pathways, Jessie Brown and Martin Kurzweil, Ithaka S+R (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2017)
Undergraduate Financial Aid in the United States, Judith Scott-Clayton, Columbia University (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2017)
The Economic Impact of Increasing College Completion, Sophia Koropeckyj, Chris Lafakis, and Adam Ozimek, Moody’s Analytics; Foreword by Michael S. McPherson (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2017)
Policies and Practices to Support Undergraduate Teaching Improvement, Aaron Pallas, Anna Neumann, and Corbin Campbell (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2017)
The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2017)
Project Meetings \\ Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education
Higher Expectations, Higher Education
September 26, 2017
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Commission Cochair Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) spoke on the topics of accountability, accessibility, and affordability in higher education at the “Higher Expectations, Higher Education” conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This conference brought together educators from around the country to discuss the status of higher education since the release of the Spellings Commission report in 2006.
Member Reception
September 26, 2017
Duke University
Durham, NC
Chair of the Academy’s Board of Directors Nancy C. Andrews (Duke University) welcomed Academy Members to a reception at Duke University, which featured remarks about the future of undergraduate education from Commission Cochair Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation).
Priorities for Progress: Advancing Higher Education in America
October 26, 2017
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
The Academy hosted a Stated Meeting at the University of California, Berkeley on “Priorities for Progress: Advancing Higher Education in America.” The meeting featured remarks about higher education and the Academy’s work on The Lincoln Project: Excellence and Access in Public Higher Education and The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America from Commission Cochair Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation), Commission member Monica Lozano (College Futures Foundation), Lincoln Project Cochair Robert J. Birgeneau (University of California, Berkeley), and Bob Jacobsen (University of California, Berkeley).
From Enrollment to Excellence: New Opportunities for American Undergraduate Education
November 28, 2017
Century Association
New York, NY
The 2063rd Stated Meeting, held in New York, focused on new opportunities for U.S. undergraduate education. The meeting, which served as the Morton L. Mandel Public Lecture, provided an opportunity for Members to hear from several Commissioners, share opinions, and discuss how we can realize the promise of undergraduate education for students and the nation. The featured speakers included Vartan Gregorian (Carnegie Corporation of New York), Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation), Nicholas Lemann (Columbia University), and Gail Mellow (LaGuardia Community College). Diana Natalicio (University of Texas at El Paso) offered remarks at the dinner following the meeting.
Release of the Commission’s Final Report: The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America
November 28–30, 2017
Washington, D.C.
Official Release and Public Symposium
At a meeting held at the National Press Club, the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education released its final report. Commission Cochairs Roger Ferguson, Jr. (TIAA) and Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) and Commission members Jonathan F. Fanton (American Academy of Arts and Sciences), John DeGioia (Georgetown University), Mitchell Daniels (Purdue University), and Deborah Loewenberg Ball (University of Michigan) discussed the main themes and recommendations contained in the report, which focus on the quality of the student educational experience, increasing completion rates, and improving affordability.
Meetings with National Higher Education Organizations
Commission Cochairs Roger Ferguson, Jr. (TIAA) and Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) and Commission members Jonathan F. Fanton (American Academy of Arts and Sciences), Deborah Ball (University of Michigan), Jennifer Jennings (Princeton University), Jeremy Johnson (Andela), Nicholas Lemann (Columbia University), J. Michael Locke (formerly, Rasmussen), Gail Mellow (LaGuardia Community College), Hilary Pennington (Ford Foundation), and Michelle Weise (Strada Education Network) met with leaders from several national higher education organizations and discussed initiatives taking place to strengthen undergraduate education. The Commissioners met with Mary Sue Coleman (Association of American Universities), Peter McPherson (Association of Public and Land-grant Universities), Mary Heiss (American Association of Community Colleges), Tammy Reichelt (American Association of Community Colleges), George Mehaffy (American Association of State Colleges and Universities), Richard Ekman (Council of Independent Colleges), David L. Warren (National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities), Terrell Rhodes (Association of American Colleges and Universities), and Josh Wyner (The Aspen Institute). Celeste Ford (Carnegie Corporation of New York) also joined the group.
Congressional Meetings
Commission members Jonathan F. Fanton (American Academy of Arts and Sciences), Jennifer Jennings (Princeton University), J. Michael Locke (formerly, Rasmussen), Deborah Ball (University of Michigan), Sandy Baum (Urban Institute), Rebecca Blank (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Jeremy Johnson (Andela), Nicholas Lemann (Columbia University), Michelle Weise (Strada Education Network), and Hilary Pennington (Ford Foundation) met with twenty-one members of Congress and/or their key legislative advisors to discuss the report’s recommendations, such as simplifying the FAFSA-based student aid application process, refocusing the Pell Grant Program to focus on completion, and designing a single income-driven repayment plan in which students are automatically enrolled.
White House Visit
Commission Cochairs Roger Ferguson, Jr. (TIAA) and Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) and Commission members Jonathan F. Fanton (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) and Sandy Baum (Urban Institute) met with Jim Manning, Acting Under Secretary of Education, to discuss the report and relevant policy recommendations around college affordability, access, and completion.
Washington, D.C. Program Committee Reception and Dinner
The Washington, D.C. Program Committee, led by Steven Knapp (George Washington University), hosted a dinner for Academy Members and guests following the public release of The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America. The dinner featured remarks from Commission members Rebecca Blank (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Nicholas Lemann (Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism), and the discussion focused on how to realize the promise of undergraduate education for students and the nation.
Annual Meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities
January 25, 2018
Washington, D.C.
At the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Commission Cochair Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) spoke about how colleges and universities can commit to making systematic changes to improve college teaching.
Higher Education Summit
January 30, 2018
Yale University
New Haven, CT
At the Yale School of Management’s Higher Education Summit, Commission member Joseph Aoun (Northeastern University) and Ron Pressman (TIAA Institutional Financial Services) discussed the final report, especially the blend of academic, practical, and civic knowledge and skills students need to be successful for careers and for life.
Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Improving College Affordability
February 6, 2018
Washington, D.C.
Commission member Sandy Baum (Urban Institute) testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on “Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Improving College Affordability.” She recommended that Congress should help make college more affordable for students and families by simplifying the aid application process, making Pell Grants more predictable and reliable, eliminating institutions with very poor outcomes from federal aid programs and holding institutions accountable for student success, providing better information and guidance for students, and improving the income-driven system for student-loan repayment.
Meeting of the National Science Board
February 21–22, 2018
Alexandria, VA
Commission members Sandy Baum (Urban Institute) and Deborah Loewenberg Ball (University of Michigan) and program director Francesca Purcell (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) presented the Commission’s findings on improving educational quality, increasing completion rates, and making college more affordable at a meeting of the National Science Board.
The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of Kentucky
April 9–10, 2018
Louisville, KY
Commission Cochair Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) delivered the opening plenary at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education’s Annual Student Success Summit and provided a comprehensive overview of the final report. Commission member Sandy Baum (Urban Institute) led sessions on the question of “What does college affordability really mean?” The summit, entitled The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of Kentucky, was named after the Commission’s final report.
The Future of Undergraduate Education
April 18, 2018
San Diego, CA
Commission member J. Michael Locke (formerly, Rasmussen Inc.) moderated a panel at the annual ASU + GSV Summit. The panel, entitled “The Future of Undergraduate Education,” featured a debate on the role of postsecondary education and drew on topics highlighted in the Commission’s final report.
Boston-Area Members Discussion
April 19, 2018
Boston, MA
Lawrence K. Fish (Citizen’s Bank) hosted at the Fish Family Foundation a discussion for Boston-area Members on the future of higher education, public perceptions of colleges and universities in a time of growing skepticism of American institutions, and the intersections between colleges and industry in developing the country’s talent. David Oxtoby (Pomona College) presented opening remarks.
TIAA Annual Forum
April 25, 2018
Scottsdale, AZ
The Commission’s final report set the stage for TIAA’s Annual Forum. Commission Cochairs Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) and Roger Ferguson, Jr. (TIAA) opened the three-day event, which celebrated TIAA’s 100-year anniversary, with a panel that provided an overview of the key themes from the report, as well as in-depth discussions focused on the Commission’s recommendations to improve college teaching and increase completion rates. The audience included approximately 450 chief business and human resource officers from colleges and universities around the country. The Forum concluded with an executive roundtable session with college and university presidents that focused on how to work more effectively with state legislators as well as how to regain the public’s trust in higher education.
The Future of Undergraduate Education
May 22, 2018
South Bend, IN
Commission Cochair Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) delivered a keynote address on the future of undergraduate education at the annual meeting of the Enrollment Planning Network.
A Dialogue on the Future of Higher Education in Wisconsin
May 31, 2018
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
Rebecca Blank (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and the Academy hosted a statewide meeting with higher education, government, and business leaders from across Wisconsin that focused on how the higher education community in Wisconsin can best improve college access and completion for students from low-income families and how higher education can best respond to recent criticisms. Michael McPherson (formerly, Spencer Foundation) delivered opening remarks and along with Commission member Sandy Baum (Urban Institute) moderated the event.
National Conference of the Network of STEM Education Centers
June 6–8, 2018
Columbus, OH
Commission member Deborah Loewenberg Ball (University of Michigan) delivered a keynote address at the national conference of the Network of STEM Education Centers that highlighted the work of the Commission related to improving undergraduate STEM teaching and teacher preparation on college campuses.
The AI Disruption of Work–Educational Responses
June 15, 2018
University of Wyoming
Jackson Hole, WY
Commission member Joseph Aoun (Northeastern University) spoke at The AI Disruption of Work–Educational Responses Summit about the influence of artificial intelligence both in education and in work and highlighted some of the findings from the Commission’s final report, especially the blend of academic, practical, and civic knowledge and skills students need to be successful in their careers and in their lives.