Students Don’t Want Press Releases, They Want Outcomes

To address the lack of trust in higher education, institutions should shut out the noise of the culture wars and respond with outcomes, according to Devin Duncan, student body president at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  

“I think the value of an education is there, but too often we’re letting the loudest voices and the biggest headlines create the impression that they speak for every student and every campus when that is simply not true,” he said. “The challenge in front of institutions is: What are you actually doing?”

“Students are tired of press releases; they want to actually see how their life is being made easier,” he added.

In an interview for the Key podcast with Inside Higher Ed Editor in Chief Sara Custer, Duncan said institutions should focus on the outcomes of every student on campus. “You can say [you’re] for every student, but is that work really felt in classrooms? Felt when a student is figuring out where they’re going to live or what they’re going to eat? Is there really work that’s connecting the dots and making sure that no matter what you’re going through, you have a chance to succeed?” he said. 

In the interview, Duncan responds to other criticisms thrown at higher education institutions, including a lack of free speech and viewpoint diversity. Those rebukes don’t reflect his experience at UNC, he said. “Carolina has students across the political spectrum that are protesting, they are publishing, that are speaking their opinion, and I think that is exactly what a public university should allow,” he said. 

He also encouraged higher ed leaders to include students in their decision-making and policy work. “When we think about everything that’s going on in higher education, we also have a responsibility to shape it. Students are experiencing these decisions that are going on specific to UNC and in Raleigh and D.C.,” he said. “We have the most investment in making sure that higher education is right for the people coming after us.” 

Listen to the full episode here.