According to the National Student Cleaninghouse Research Center's findings, released earlier this month, more than 2.1 million students dropped out in recent years, and the number of college dropouts rose by 2.2% in the past year – a trend that might be traced to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
"This is a very positive development," says Campus Reform's Zachary Marschall. "I realize that's counterintuitive… but what people have to understand is that the higher education industry has become more of a money-making machine than it has been a public good in the last couple decades."
He says institutions have been prioritizing things that make them more money but are not connected to the essential mission of learning.
"They are creating … too many graduate programs that don't translate to better jobs, better wages," Marschall summarizes.
A related Campus Reform report notes a quote from Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal: "Politicization has significantly eroded public trust."
"If more people are dropping out … it's also good for the education sector in the country because there are alternatives to four-year degrees," Marschall asserts, noting vocational schools and training programs that major corporations, especially in tech, are using to hire people.
"This is going to create a more diverse workforce, people with more practical skills that can participate in emerging technologies and our thriving tech sector," he predicts. "We should see this as a healthy correction and hopefully part of an ongoing trend in higher education."
He commends the Board of Regents in Arizona for already pivoting and removing DEI from its policies in compliance with the anti-DEI executive order President Trump signed just after taking office.
Against the wishes of the several students who urged the board to resist the executive order, the board voted June 12 to replace "equity" and "inclusion" with "equality" and remove references to "ethnic minorities" and "affirmative action."
"This is a positive step towards reforming higher education," Marschall reiterates. "It is part of the pivot we need to make back to merit-based assessment and decision-making at universities, as well as refocus curriculum and programming back to learning instead of identity-based politics and social justice activism."
