Funding Higher Education: Aligning Resources with Learning Outcomes

Rethinking Higher Education Funding: A Focus on Observable Outcomes

This podcast reviews arguments for shifting higher education funding models to prioritize observable student learning outcomes (SLOs) over traditional metrics like attendance and degree attainment.

The Problem: A System Misaligned with Learning

Current higher education funding and evaluation rely on metrics that fail to answer the crucial question: "What are students actually learning?" While diplomas may indicate persistence, they don't necessarily guarantee mastery or workforce readiness. As the source states, "a diploma may reflect persistence but not necessarily mastery or readiness for the workforce." This disconnect between metrics and real-world outcomes undermines the value of higher education.