Clemson President: On-campus Experience Still Valuable For Students

Clemson University President James F. Barker says the value of higher education transcends online learning and classroom instruction and stresses the importance of the on-campus experience to a student’s development.

Barker made the case in an essay he wrote for the Presidential Perspectives national leadership series, authored by college and university presidents and published by ARAMARK. “The Endangered Campus: Defining and Defending the Value of Place-Based Higher Education,” is the third chapter of the 2012-2013 edition.

“The campus has always been the place where students begin separating from their families and gain independence. It’s a place where the deepest kinds of discovery and learning can and should happen,” Barker said. “It’s a place where brains are fed, minds are opened and lifelong connections and communities are formed. It’s a place that attracts creative, innovative people and creates the right ecosystem for community and economic development.”

Supporting the theme of “Responding to the Commoditization of Higher Education,” the chapter examines the impact of online education on today’s colleges and universities and how a “virtual” college experience can never replace the face-to-face, one-on-one teaching and mentoring provided to students on campus. While Barker said that higher education institutions must adapt to the changing educational landscape, he firmly believes there is a value in students “going away to college” to help students grow intellectually, socially and emotionally.

“There is great value in the on-campus higher education experience and although colleges and universities must adapt to the changing needs of students, the growth opportunities that are afforded to students who live on campus can not be replicated through online learning,” said Scott D. Miller, president of Bethany College, who along with Marylouise Fennell, senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges and past president of Carlow University, serve as executive editors of Presidential Perspectives. 

Now in its seventh year, Presidential Perspectives is a collection of 10 thought-provoking chapter essays authored by college and university presidents.

Additional topical essays featured in the Presidential Perspectives series include developing and defining value propositions, implementing niche marketing and maintaining differentiation in a changing market. Current and past chapters can be viewed online at www.presidentialperspectives.org.

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