{UPDATE: This content originally appeared on a previous blog I maintained.} Before the summer of 2011 academic retreat, we were asked to do a bit of homework. Each member is to read “The College of 2020: Students” by Martin Van Der Werf and Grant Sabatier. Before I continue, you can review the document yourself using this here. This document is a Chronicle Research Services publication. There is no need to read the entire document, the Executive Summary provides the salient points. You can then dive into those areas that interest you.

As I read this report, I understood the need for higher education administrators and faculty to read this document, but it also struck me that this document is a required read for parents and possibly even advanced early teens who are just now considering their higher education options. It provides some excellent insights about the future of higher education curriculum/programs, instructional technologies and finances.

You see, higher education is changing and this document prepares us for some certain truths, of which the most interesting to me are presented below:

• College tuition will rise - was there ever any question?
• Online education enrollment will continue to rise - again, pretty obvious?
• Students will look for data organizers/collectors/miners as their instructors, not orators
• Community Colleges will thrive because of their cost and open access
• Students will require anytime enrollment instead of the traditional academic calendar
• For-profit colleges will continue to become more popular as their costs become more aligned with their public competitors

Give the document a closer read for the reasons why as well as the specifics. This document is due an update. With a publication date of June 2009, there is no doubt that since that time we have seen significant changes to the landscape of higher education.

I’m of course always interested in your thoughts, so drop me a comment below if you’ve taken the time to read this document and have some insights.