“The pandemic was devastating for so many families—one of the things we learned was that everything doesn’t have to be brick and mortar,” Duncan said. “We need to continue in all our brick-and-mortar institutions and continue to provide a great education in those facilities. How do we stretch and meet people where they are, whether that’s online, whether that’s [late at night] after work, or on weekends. It’s not one versus the other—it’s never either-or for me, it’s always both-and. That’s the challenge; that’s the amazing opportunity.”
Paying attention to equity and working to close opportunity gaps are essential components of increased higher-ed program completion.
“The challenge, again, is that less than half the nation has a college degree. That’s the reality. It’s not about just education; it’s about creating upward mobility. Education at its best does exactly that—it closes the opportunity gaps. Unfortunately, all too often, education exacerbates that gap between the haves and the have-nots,” Duncan said. “I worry about our democracy fraying at the edges. I don’t say that lightly. The divide between the haves and the have-nots, based on educational opportunity, is having a devastating impact on our country.”
When it comes to the kind of degree or postsecondary completion students obtain, Duncan said options are the most important thing.
“I want to give people as many high-quality options as we can, and let them figure out for themselves, for their current family or work situation, what the best option is for them. There’s no right or wrong,” he said.
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