Introduction
Arizona has a proud tradition of affordable public higher education. In fact, written in the state constitution is a promise that, at public colleges, “the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible.”1 The Grand Canyon state boasts a large system of public 2- and 4-year schools institutions that engender state pride and drive local and regional economies.
Today, over 460,000 students attend Arizona’s public colleges and universities. Over half nearly 280,000 are enrolled in Arizona’s community college system.2 For each of these students, postsecondary education is a key step in achieving their professional and personal dreams and hoping to guarantee some financial stability. And yet policymakers in Arizona have made this step harder, through continuous divestment in Arizona’s public higher education system, resulting in skyrocketing college prices. This has coincided with record increases in the cost of living in parts of the state,3 as well
Introduction
Michigan has a proud tradition of affordable public higher education, from world-renowned public universities to a system of 28 community colleges that enroll over 350,000 students, all of which engender state pride and drive local and regional economies. It is also a state that has been central to the movement for free or affordable college: the Kalamazoo Promise, announced in 2005, inspired a wave of programs across the country offering a guarantee of free tuition.
Today, over 500,000 students attend Michigan’s public colleges and universities.1 For each of these students, postsecondary education is a key step in achieving their professional and personal dreams and seeking to guarantee some financial stability. And yet policymakers in Michigan have continuously made this step harder through divestment in Michigan’s public higher education system, resulting in skyrocketing college prices. Policymakers have cut per-student funding by almost 30 percent over the pas
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The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the virtual education revolution by a decade, causing institutions and faculty to adapt their programs and pedagogy to better engage students.
Before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the education journeys of more than 1.6 billion students around the world, higher education institutions were already exploring ways to grow enrollment, reach more students, and better engage the digital natives of Generation Z. Though the need to move online created challenges, it also inspired solutions that will have long-lasting effects on higher education.
In an effort to better understand the impacts of the current dynamics on higher education staff, faculty, and students, Microsoft Education partnered with the Economist Intelligence Unit