Inside Higher Ed’s 2024 Survey of College and University Presidents was conducted by Hanover Research. The study included 380 presidents from public and private nonprofit institutions, for a margin of error of 4.66%. Altogether, 380 presidents from 206 public and 174 private, nonprofit institutions participated. As is often the case, presidents generally viewed their own institutions more positively than higher education as a whole. The study included questions on such issues as campus speech, public perceptions of higher education, race on campus, artificial intelligence, general financial and economic confidence, and mental health.
Currently in its 14th year, the survey has evolved in accordance with higher education trends. The 2024 edition marks the first time presidents were asked about artificial intelligence. They expressed decidedly mixed views on the technology: 50% of survey respondents said they were somewhat or very optimistic about the rise of AI, but only a third said they somewhat or strongly believe that their institution is prepared to navigate its rise. Looking further afield, only 17% indicated they think the higher education sector as a whole is prepared to handle the technology. Not quite one in five presidents (18%) said their institution has published a policy governing the use of AI, including in teaching and research.
Renewed Efforts To Expand Student Loan Debt Forgiveness
The March 2024 issue of this newsletter indicated that efforts by the Biden Administration resulted in the automatic discharge of $1.2 billion in loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers who are eligible for the shortened time to forgiveness benefit under the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. More recently, the April 6, 2024 issue of the Wall Street Journal reported that the administration is poised to issue a proposal aimed at reducing or eliminating student loan balances for millions of borrowers, marking President Biden's second attempt at large-scale loan forgiveness. The proposed regulation is anticipated to outline several categories that would qualify borrowers for debt relief, including financial hardship. Under the plan, borrowers with high debt loads and low incomes could see their loan balances reduced or eliminated. It also could outline a path to relief for borrowers who have carried their debt for decades; who now owe more than their initial loan amount because interest has accumulated; or who are eligible for relief through other federal programs, but they haven't applied.
Regulations, which are set to be issued, come after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the administration's first debt-cancellation plan that would have wiped away as much as $20,000 in student debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year. The exact timing of the renewed effort will depend on how quickly the administration can finalize the regulations. It is expected that once the proposal is completed, it is likely to face legal action from Republican attorneys general, who again will try to persuade the courts to block it. The Supreme Court in June 2023 did not approve the first student loan forgiveness plan.
Student Mental Health And Well-Being
The American Council on Education (ACE) understands that institutional practices around campus mental health and well-being play a critical role in student success. Students with poor mental health are at risk of a lower GPA, discontinuous enrollment, or dropping out. ACE’s research and insights on campus mental health and well-being look to provide higher education leaders with the tools that they need for their institution to address mental health on their campus. Portion of a podcast by the ACE on March 21, 2024 was about the mental health crisis in higher education. The organization would like Congress to provide adequate funding to undertake campus initiatives in research and training, and enable academic institutions to have an increased ability to offer interstate mental health services.