Declining enrollments, rising concerns for Mass. colleges

Schools aren’t doing enough to prepare students in career management

The editorial “The ‘demographic cliff ’ is coming. Colleges must be prepared.” (April 7) cites Michael Horn of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation saying that, according to surveys, parents and students want to make sure college makes financial sense and will lead to a job.

One would certainly hope so. With a growing number of private colleges nearing the alarming annual cost of more than $100,000, the value proposition of a four-year bachelor’s degree is rightfully being questioned, and by many.

Not noted among the potential remedies your editorial offers for attracting and retaining students in this challenging environment is preparation in career management. This suite of skills and knowledge, including connection to alumni and other networks and built-in workplace experiences, is known to career practitioners, is easily taught, and can be integrated into all college and university programs, regardless of academic concentration. But even now, a quarter of the way into the 21st century, most colleges do not require any career management preparation at all. It is still viewed as a niceto-have, not a must-have. Perhaps this formula will finally change. Those institutions that make the commitment in this area will see the results and reap the rewards.

This preparation is viewed as a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

DOUGLAS M. EISENHART

Natick

The writer, now retired, was director of the Career Education Center at Simmons University.

What about a three-year option for degree seekers?

Another option not mentioned in last Sunday’s editorial is to offer a three-year program as an option so that more students could attain a bachelor’s degree at a lower cost.

ANDREW W. DAVIS

Falmouth

Mass. state colleges are committed to seeing students succeed

Hilary Burns’s story about Massachusetts state colleges focused on declining enrollment and highlighted how increases in tuition and fees are pricing out those who could benefit from public colleges (“Lean times for workhorses of academia,” Page A1, April 7). Missing from the article is the great value that public campuses provide to the communities we serve.

A recent report shows Massachusetts public colleges raise the economic and social mobility of their graduates. The Social Mobility Index considers graduation rates, students’ economic conditions, salaries of graduates, and affordability. Of 1,198 public and private colleges included in the rankings, our state colleges ranked in the top 25 percent in the nation, and Salem State, Bridgewater State, and Fitchburg State made the top 100. The only other Massachusetts college, public or private, in the top 100 was the University of Massachusetts Boston. Community colleges, which surely provide social mobility, are excluded from the SMI rankings.

Despite reduced state funding over the past 20 years, Massachusetts state colleges earned these rankings by making a commitment to our students’ success. The faculty have adopted high-impact teaching practices, our staff provide wraparound student support, and we have built strong academic programs.

Removing financial barriers that potential students encounter will ultimately yield greater overall investment in our Commonwealth.

JOANNA GONSALVES

Woburn

The writer, a professor of psychology at Salem State University, is incoming president of the Massachusetts State College Association.

Boston’s flood-control plan has a touch of ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’

The project-by-project approach to the containment of rising sea levels is fundamentally flawed (“On climate projects, a break in the action: Real estate delays underscore risks of relying on the private sector,” Page A1, April 7). When I was a city planner in northern Nevada 45 years ago, we prohibited this methodology in flood-prone areas. The logic behind our approach was simple: The water has to go somewhere. If it doesn’t go on your property, it has to go somewhere else. What may be the best solution for your property may lead to a significantly worse outcome for your neighbor.

The first step is to create a comprehensive plan for Boston Harbor and its environs. Developers would then construct water control projects to these specifications. It would incentivize landowners to do their share, because if they don’t, they will get other people’s water. This would lead to the best and fairest result for the entire community.

FRANK DUNAU

Wellesley