As students graduate and the school year comes to a close, it's worth asking: what if most of our assumptions about "higher education" are wrong? Our notions of who needs higher education, what types of skills are needed, and how this learning should be provided are becoming outdated. In the midst of this unprecedented change, are students truly being prepared for what Minnesota needs in the future?

These are the questions we asked at Policy and a Pint: Unlearning Our Notions About Higher Education. Here are some highlights:

"What we have had in higher ed in the past -- and for a very long time — is that people earn degrees. It becomes a bit of a black box, this degree. An employer can't see inside that degree, to understand what the heck it means. What can you do with that degree? What skills have you acquired? What competencies have you developed? What does that means in terms what my business needs in terms of talent to move us forward?"
— Dr. Deborah Bushway, Capella University

"The problem is far too many people are going to college unprepared, not completing, and ending up with a lot of debt and nothing to show for it."
— Stephen Smith, American RadioWorks

"I believe every student coming from high school should have a pathway to success. Whether it starts at the local community college, whether it starts at the state University, or a research University such as the University of Minnesota. They have to have a pathway. The bottom line is this: you just don't have the time to constantly reinvest and take loans out. Somebody's got to pay for it."
— Rassoul Dastmozd, St. Paul College