To the visionary leaders and dedicated admissions professionals of American Higher Education, a candid conversation is necessary. The foundation of our institutions—and the future of our nation’s workforce—is facing an undeniable seismic shift.
The data is clear: undergraduate college enrollment has been in steady decline, dropping nearly 20% between 2010 and 2023, according to some analyses. This isn’t just an abstract economic indicator; it’s a crisis that ripples into every corner of the American economy. Our nation is facing crippling shortages in critical, college-educated fields:
- Healthcare: Projections show we will need to hire hundreds of thousands of registered nurses annually and may face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.
- Education: A nationwide teacher shortage continues to undermine our schools.
- Engineering and STEM: Despite a rise in degrees in high-wage fields like engineering and computer science, the demand still outstrips supply, leaving essential infrastructure and innovation projects starved for talent.
The path to addressing these monumental workforce needs runs directly through your campuses. We cannot wait for students to simply decide college is worth the cost. We must proactively demonstrate its profound, life-changing value and connect learning directly to opportunity.
💡 Introducing Operation Dream Landing: The Experience Economy Meets Higher Education
That’s why we invite you to join Operation Dream Landing, a transformative initiative by Dream2Career that reframes your campus not just as a place of study, but as a vibrant, accessible hub for discovery. We are partnering with the travel industry to leverage the booming experience economy and bring revenue and life back to what are otherwise underutilized assets.
The Proposal: College Demo Days
Imagine opening your campus to local families and travelers passing through your community, offering hands-on, short-term “Demo Days.” These are not passive campus tours—they are immersive experiences utilizing your most compelling resources:
- 🔬 Underutilized Labs: Travelers might spend an hour running a chemistry experiment.
- 📚 World-Class Libraries: A family could explore rare collections under the guidance of a historian.
- ⚙️ Simulators and Makerspaces: A student or an adult traveler could try their hand at an engineering challenge or a medical procedure simulator.
These “Demo Days” serve multiple crucial functions:
- Inspire the Next Generation: They spark genuine curiosity and fun, helping people see career pathways (like becoming a doctor, nurse, or engineer) they may never have known existed for them.
- Generate Revenue: They turn empty spaces into revenue-generating experiences for the college.
- Reimagine Admissions: They create a low-pressure, high-impact connection with a diverse new pool of potential students—including adult learners looking for a career change—who might be years away from an application, but are now inspired to find their path to a fulfilling career.
With the help of students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dream2Career is building a seamless ticketing platform. This system will allow colleges and learning providers to easily offer these experiences to travelers, with invitations to add a college visit to their itinerary, even if they have no immediate intention of enrolling.
Some forward-thinking institutions like Harvard, the University of Chicago, and Trinity College have already begun to tap into the travel industry to bring unique traffic to their grounds. Now, it is time for all colleges to have the opportunity to join this movement, reimagine college admissions, and help students find their pathway to success.
Your mission is vital. Your workforce is needed. Let’s open the gates and prove that a college education is the essential first step toward becoming the best version of one’s self.
If you are interested in increasing enrollment, generating new revenue, and saving your college from facing closure, contact Dr. Kathleen Houlihan at Khoulihan@Dream2Career.org for more information on joining Operation Dream Landing.
