Something must be done
to ensure that more students—particularly those from low-income
and minority backgrounds and those who think and learn differently—attain
the degree that has become so vital to individuals and society.
The United States cannot compete in a global economy if large
numbers of its young men and women do not have the academic skills
and knowledge—and the ability to apply them—that are
necessary to be successful in the world of work. Just as Big Picture
high schools have provided one answer to the problems facing secondary
education, we now would like to extend our educational mission
and begin to answer the problems facing higher education.
• Less than 10 percent
of all students from the lowest socioeconomic quartile in this
country graduate with a four-year degree. (1)
• Less than 30 percent of students from the bottom income
quartile who begin college graduate within six years, compared
to 98 percent of students in the top income quartile. (2)
• Studies suggest that only about half of all recent high
school graduates who enroll in college full time complete their
degree within six years. (3)
Forty percent of African-American college freshmen and 47 percent
of Latino college freshmen obtain bachelor’s degrees within
six years, compared to 59 percent of White freshmen. (4)
• Increasingly, a college degree is becoming an economic
necessity. Nearly two-thirds of all high-growth, high-wage jobs
created in the next decade will require a college degree, yet
only one-third of Americans have one.(5)
• Only one-quarter of four-year college graduates are excellent
in the most important skills needed for success in the workforce.
(6)
• The average borrower graduating from a public college
owes $17,250 in debt and one in four finishes school owing at
least $22,822. Ten years ago, the average student borrower attending
a public college or university graduated owing $8,000 from student
loans (adjusted for inflation). (7)
• Particularly worrisome is that the number of college graduates
with at least $40,000 in student loan debt has increased 10-fold
in the past decade. These escalating numbers pose long-term threats
to recent college graduates’ lifelong decisions, and the
financial future of borrowers who do not earn a degree is even
bleaker. (8)
What Progress Has Been Made?
We are looking for the
right partnership with an existing college or university, to be
the experimental arm of that college or university. We have met
with a variety of colleges throughout the northeast and are moving
forward in our talks with some of those schools. We have completed
our initial papers—including an article from the New England
Journal of Education that outlines our plans for the college;
an overview of the defining elements of Big Picture College; a
narrative of a fictional student during her four years; and a
literature review describing the need for this type of program
(all of these can be accessed through the links to the right).
We are developing our operating budget, researching possible funding
sources, and familiarizing ourselves with accreditation standards.
What
Will Define Big Picture College?
• An admissions process that does
not consider SAT scores or class rank
• Individualized study plans centered on each students’
interests
• A curriculum and outcomes that will prepare students for
life and work after college
• No large lecture classes and no letter/number grades
• Real-world learning
• Starting in freshmen year, students working in internships
alongside cutting-edge mentors
• Multiple travel experiences
• Team-based, collaborative projects
• Support and guidance for each individual student –
close-knit relationships with every Big Picture College faculty
and staff member
• Evaluations in the form of panel exhibitions
