Lawmakers will continue to look for ways to measure the value of a college degree. Acknowledging this, a group of three higher education associations say they want to help that conversation be more informed and comprehensive.
The groups, which represent the various sectors of public higher education, on Thursday released a draft discussion guide for how to track what happens to students after college.
The Post-College Outcomes Framework and Toolkit is from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded the project.
The three groups did not suggest specific metrics. That might come later, officials said. But in the meantime, the framework attempts to lay out which areas matter most in determining what students get out of attending college.
"This is really about expanding the conversation," said Christine Keller, vice president of research and policy analysis for the land-grant association, "to help people think about the benefits of higher education."
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/09/associations-weigh-how-gauge-post-college-outcomes