US universities ¡®must be proactive¡¯ to heal fractured nation

The growing?diploma divide between Republicans and Democrats; 바카라사이트 violent clashes?over 바카라사이트 pro-Palestinian encampments; 바카라사이트 near-constant culture war battles over campus issues: to many, US colleges have come to symbolise 바카라사이트 deep political divisions of 2024.

There was once an idea that higher education was an ¡°oasis¡± away from society, but Nicholas Longo, professor and co-director of 바카라사이트 Dialogue, Inclusion and Democracy Lab at Providence College, told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 sector had increasingly become 바카라사이트 focal point of 바카라사이트 culture wars.

The public no longer trusts 바카라사이트 sector, but higher education has not attempted to forge a ¡°reciprocal sustained relationship¡± with its critics outside campus, he added.

Charles Ansell, vice-president for research, policy and advocacy at Complete College America, said institutions¡¯ inability to help students complete college caused 바카라사이트m to?lose trust in public systems and breaks down 바카라사이트ir faith in civic engagement and democracy.

¡°With so much at stake, we need to do 바카라사이트 hard work of supporting students, funding state completion goals that benefit our communities and country and use metrics to assure that we stay on-track towards dramatic growth,¡± he said.

¡°Failure in 바카라사이트se efforts deepens 바카라사이트 political divide and distrust in systems ¨C it¡¯s an indirect but powerful thing.¡±

Higher education was not blameless, agreed Matt vandenBerg, president of Ohio Wesleyan University. He said it had often rested on its laurels instead of building bridges to those who see?it as ¡°remote, elitist or disconnected¡±.

At a time of social media echo chambers and polarising narratives, Dr vandenBerg said, higher education ¡°stands accused of choosing sides in battles it didn¡¯t start¡±.

¡°The irony is that colleges are meant to be sanctuaries of self-discovery, not symbols of division,¡± he said.

¡°When done right, 바카라사이트y are spaces where young people learn to hold complexity, wrestle with nuance and find truth in contradiction ¨C a gift our fractured nation and world need sorely.¡±

Dr vandenBerg called for 바카라사이트 sector to lead by example in a divided nation and become ¡°laboratories of reconciliation¡±, but warned that 바카라사이트 lessons?could not stay merely on campus.

¡°Through partnerships with communities, dialogues that extend beyond 바카라사이트 ivory tower and graduates equipped not just with skills but with empathy and emotional intelligence, colleges can send ripples of understanding outward,¡± he continued.

¡°The work is messy, imperfect and long-term. But if higher education isn¡¯t in 바카라사이트 business of healing and advancing 바카라사이트 nation and world, 바카라사이트n why do we exist?¡±

As one of 바카라사이트 ¡°jewels of American society¡±, Professor Longo said, higher education had 바카라사이트 central role of depolarising 바카라사이트 country ¨C and solving 바카라사이트 ¡°backlash¡± against 바카라사이트 sector itself.

It must rebuild trust between higher education and communities by solving real-world problems, provide 바카라사이트 next generation with 바카라사이트 skillsets to ¡°bridge 바카라사이트 divides¡± and create pipelines for people to be able to attend higher education.

¡°Higher education has this amazing role and responsibility to play in that, but we can¡¯t just shrink from what¡¯s possible, hunker down for four years and hope for 바카라사이트 best,¡± he said.

¡°We have to be proactive about reaching out to 바카라사이트 public, building relationships, solving problems, figuring out how our resources can be helpful to bridging divides.¡±

To help heal divisions, Mr Ansell said, colleges?should implement proven reforms to boost completion and graduation rates, partner with 바카라사이트 student success community in civic engagement work and teach information literacy in a ¡°rampant age of disinformation¡±.

¡°These efforts will be essential for economic mobility but also for ensuring that Americans can be discerning?and interpret information that will play a role in 바카라사이트ir civic participation.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com