Dr. Aaron Kuecker
President of Trinity Christian College
Giving and receiving gifts through healthy connections is the key to life in any ecosystem. While institutions of higher education are certainly micro-ecosystems unto themselves, what could be possible if colleges served as hubs connecting the resources that can be shared for the good of students and communities?
In late October, a cross-sector convening catalyzed by The Aspen Institute and Trinity Christian College – and hosted by the Chicago Community Trust – brought several dozen leaders to the table to begin asking what might be possible if we worked together on more fully ecosystemic approaches to the economics of higher education, student formation, and workplace preparation. In this light, higher education leaders, business leaders, funding agencies, community-based organizations, and thought leaders were gathered to explore several models and case studies.
In the midst of a sector marked by narratives of scarcity – the pervasive attestation that there are not enough students, there is not enough endowment, there are not enough donors – we asked what could become possible if we recognized the abundance in our Greater Chicago region (and beyond). What might be possible if we had the flexibility to create partnerships of mutual economic benefit with students, employers, colleges, and neighborhoods?
Gathered around a variety of innovative alternative models, participants explored ways that the economic model of higher education– reliant as it is upon student debt and donor philanthropy, along with tuition – could be revitalized if we were able to find the imagination to work toward multi-sector solutions. For these solutions to work, resources need to flow in new ways and in ways that recognize and reflect our connectedness in our regions.
Higher education leaders have a unique opportunity to serve as connectors in the system, linking the gifts of students and the gifts of employers. Employers have opportunity to engage early, more deeply, and with an economic stake (that can pay off on the bottom line) to create prepared and financially more stable students (and, hence, employees). Community-based organizations bring tremendous expertise and relational currency to the table that can ensure students thrive. Philanthropists can catalyze entire systems with funding that makes connection possible.
At Trinity, we are two years into a learning process that has been rooted in a transformed approach to time, to partnership, and to money and tuition. As we have entered this journey, we have seen strong student outcomes and mutual benefit for employer partners. But we have a long way to go, and we recognize the need that system change in higher education – if it is to have potential to serve all students – will require a multi-sector approach. This is precisely the place where life emerges in an ecosystem. Cultivating the connections that are present in our communities creates opportunities for institutions to share and receive meaningful gifts. This exchange not only strengthens bonds but also promotes overall wellbeing and vitality within the community – and it is really good for our students.
In the coming months, along with partners at The Aspen Institute and leaders across the region area and beyond, we anticipate further work to initiate new types of economic models in our sector. We welcome interested ACI partners to this table of change-making and innovation.