From my childhood in Afghanistan to my current role as an American university president, I have been blessed with many opportunities to explore different cultures. These experiences have helped me define my cultural identity and my appreciation for societies that embrace and value the individual as well as the diversity of their people.
Based on this experience, it is apparent to me that the United States is facing demographic shifts that are unique in our history. Moreover, the globalization of the world economy has created new challenges and opportunities for our country. The ability to capitalize on our nation’s rich diversity, particularly among underrepresented groups, by building our human capital via higher education will drive our re-emergence as a healthy, sustainable, secure and economically strong world power.
In his first address to Congress and the nation, President Barack Obama challenged Americans to unite to help the country overcome today’s hard times and observed that “in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or ill.” That challenge is the central mission of America’s public universities, which are uniquely placed to become change agents in a multicultural society.
Still, universities must vigorously ramp up their efforts. If the present gap between demand and supply of an educated and prepared work force continues, by 2020 the United States could face a shortage of 14 million college graduates, according to the 2008 Human Capital Report by the Bay Area Council in San Francisco. The need for significant investment in human capital cannot be overemphasized. The key to this investment is the social mobility and economic prosperity that emerges when educational opportunities are made available to underrepresented groups.
Even as the current economic crisis continues to dampen efforts to meet this difficult challenge, universities have to step up aggressively to engage and motivate young people — particularly those from underserved communities — to reach for higher education. Closing the educational achievement gap for underserved students will be strongly correlated to future economic activity in our states, regions and nation. Failure to do so ensures perpetual economic stagnation and recession. The centrality of education as a vehicle of social and economic mobility is now a widely accepted phenomenon.
The California State University system, the largest university system in the country, has for several years worked to bridge this educational achievement gap by reaching out to underrepresented communities with creative activities to reach young students where they live. This outreach includes a series of “Super Sunday” events, where university presidents and the chancellor appear in the pulpits of Black churches to encourage congregations to get their sons and daughters, and nieces and nephews on track to a college education.
Outreach efforts to Hispanics include the CSU’s partnership in the Parent Institute for Quality Education program, which gives parents nine weeks of training in approaches to improve their children’s performance in the classroom, motivate their children to stay in school and identify steps to help children eventually attend a college or university.
