Highly Qualified in Higher Education Today

There was a time when a person’s word was their bond, and that you said what you mean and meant what you said; anything less was a stain on one’s honor.

Higher education has changed in many ways and no, this has nothing to do with for-profit or non-profit, private or public institutions. All institutions want a profit and always have; find me one who does not and I will find you a unicorn. What has changed is how we take people at their word, or how we do not take them at their word. How we treat each other and how we are secretly fighting behind each other’s backs. How frontline decisions are being made by faceless folks thousands of mile away, and how we question those who are highly qualified as suspects in some sort of conspiracy.

In education, does it not make sense that a highly educated and highly qualified candidate would be desirable? Yes, there is the theory that they will move on to something ‘bigger and better’, and that does happen from time to time. If that is the case, you need to ask yourself, what did I do to try to retain this person? It is not all about money. In addition, when you make the decision not to hire this person, do you truly keep their resume “in mind for future opportunities” (or “keep on file”), or is that just lip service. Remember, they are highly qualified and can be an asset.

The truth is, in this economy, there are very few ‘bigger and better’ opportunities, and educators just want to work, they want to educate. Let us assume they are telling the truth, and let us value the skills these highly qualified individuals are bringing. Since when has having a graduate degree become a crutch? Since when has a person who should be an example to others (because they keep learning), become less desirable in the workplace? When did experience become a bad thing?

A better-qualified candidate will bring a lot to the table, and their knowledge can ultimately help the most important stakeholder; the student.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam