UNE Dean Jeanne Hey discusses challenges for colleges and college students on public access TV
Jeanne Hey, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, recently served as a guest on Biddeford Public Access’s television program “Educating Our Community,” hosted by former UNE president Sandra Featherman, Ph.D.
The episode featuring Hey was dedicated to the discussion of issues facing college students and colleges in general. Hey outlined three challenges currently faced by institutions of higher education: a decline in the number of college aged students, which forces colleges and universities to compete against one another more intensely; a greater percentage of students arriving at college without the necessary preparation; and a small but persistent segment of the population that questions the value of a traditional liberal arts education.
Hey argued that a liberal arts education does, indeed, prepare students for the work world, noting that in any type of work setting, one finds employees who hold degrees in a wide variety of fields and that the most effective work teams are made up of people from diverse educational backgrounds. She also discussed how the cornerstone of a liberal arts education – learning how to learn – results in adaptability and a skillset that is transferable to a wide array of professions.
Additionally, Hey shared her thoughts on the sources of stress for today’s college students, such as student debt. While she recognized that the rising cost of a college education is a major concern for students and their parents, she pointed out that the difference in earnings over a lifetime for someone with a bachelor’s degree is startlingly significant. Moreover, she stated, “One things I’d like to say to families is… I’ve learned that too many families make assumptions about not being able to pay for college and not realizing how -- especially if they have strong students – there is an enormous amount of financial aid and scholarship to be had, and college does not have to be expensive , especially if you’re a family of need.”
Hey addressed the tracking of student loan pay-back. “UNE is well, well above the national average and well above the Maine average. So our students are taking on debt, but they are employed readily, and they’re paying back their debt because their education is paying off.”
She also acknowledged that as college becomes more accessible to more people, there are certain emotional stressors that have become more commonplace – those stressors associated with being a first generation college student, for example, or being a college student who has never been away from home before.
To learn more about the College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.un.edu/cas
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