Here are the four major areas that I predict will see the most change in the higher education realm before the turn of the decade:
The Height of HSIs
Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) are colleges with a proven record of assisting first-generation, majority low-income Hispanic college students. These schools provide a needed service to the American college population as the number of Hispanic college students rises faster than any other demographic. In 1972, just 13 percent of Hispanics ages 18 to 24 living in America went to college; in 2012, that number had risen to 37 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Right now there are 264 HSIs in 15 states and Puerto Rico, but expect that number to rise along with the demand from Hispanic students for college degrees. HSIs must not just recruit Hispanic students, but must provide them the needed support to make it to graduation. As more Hispanic students graduate from these and other institutions, expect to see a more diverse workplace.
Income Diversity Programs
The case for looking more closely at the socioeconomic constraints of incoming students when determining admission ratios has been made, particularly in the face of declining affirmative action programs across the country. Even the White House has expressed support of income diversity initiatives at colleges and universities, citing that half of all high-income students have their degrees by age 25 while only 10 percent from low-income families do. Research shows that minorities are more likely to come from poverty or low-income households, so income diversity is a way to also boost racial diversity. As affirmative action programs are being shrunk, eliminated on specific campuses, or completely banned by states, colleges must come up with a new way to give disadvantaged students more opportunities and income diversity may just be the answer. Look for these programs to rise drastically in the next four years.
Student-Led Diversity Committees
