why should we care about college access

College access is fundamentally a question of social opportunity – a question of democracy: who gets to participate, how, when, where and under what conditions….

  • College access == macro
  • college choice == micro
  • higher education opportunity
  • educational opportunity == operationalized in a lot of different ways — K-12 framework without an end game — to and from across the lifespan — shaped by the facilities we are shaped by — resources, home, etc.
  • transition to college == phenomenon — from HS to college and how the transition gets made — this is what the framing focuses in on — TC Record focused on this
  • college access and success == credo of the Lumina Foundation — not just getting them there — but helping them succeed while they are there at college — do not separate the two
  • post-secondary opportunity == tech ITT-tech; cert programs at community college

Prominent Metaphors

  • Educational pipeline == linear orientation
  • Education path/pathway ==
  • River of opportunity
  • College admissions game
  • The heart of education
  • College access as social text(s)