"We Will Have Hybrid Classrooms in 2020"

Dr. Barbara Rossier, a member of the University of Southern California Board of Trustees, delivered a conference at Bahçeşehir University on "The Education System and Higher Education in the USA" to principals and guidance counselors of public schools in Istanbul. Rossier drew attention to the importance of online education, saying, "We will have hybrid classrooms in 2020; some students will attend class, while others will receive online education."

The first to take the floor was Bahçeşehir University President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın. Yalçın stated that they continue their activities in this field with the awareness that education is the most important factor in a country's development, and emphasized that they follow all developments in education and training around the world on the basis of the country's realities.

Noting that today's meeting was organized within this framework, Yalçın also announced the good news that a faculty of education had been established at Bahçeşehir University:

"As Bahçeşehir University, we have been active in the field of education for more than 40 years. However, we were constantly asked, 'Why don't you have a faculty of education?' This year, our Faculty of Education and our Graduate School of Educational Sciences were opened at our university, which serves more than 13 thousand students at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. In this faculty, in addition to training creative young people who will serve our country's education, who have acquired the knowledge and skills of the modern age and who know the realities of the world and our country, we aim to contribute to our country's education policies through comprehensive scientific studies."

UNIVERSITIES CONNECT GENERATIONS

Yalçın then invited Dr. Barbara Rossier to the podium. Rossier began her speech by saying, "Today we are in a period of transition. In 2020, nothing will be as it is today," and explained the importance of universities as follows:

"Universities are very robust institutions, and loyalty to certain core values is taught in these institutions. These universities outlive many states and governments. They endure longer than for-profit sectors and companies, and they connect generations."

UNIVERSITIES BECAME A WAY UP FOR MINORITIES AND WOMEN

Rossier described the changes the 20th century brought to higher education as follows:

"Higher education became the way up for the middle class, especially for women and minorities... We began to stop excluding them as we had in the past. Americans have seen access to higher education as one of the most important gateways to achieving the nation's ideals. In the 20th century, the most important element was our colleges. These are regional universities that provide dual education to large numbers of people. In other words, we can describe them as schools opened for students who do not have enough budget to attend a private college. They are the schools that train our firefighters and police officers..."

A UNIVERSITY SHOULD PROVIDE 3 SKILLS

"Resilience, adaptation, productivity... Students should leave these institutions having acquired these 3 skills," said Rossier, continuing: "These three skills help students throughout their lives. Resilience, adaptation to a rapidly changing complex world, and adapting productively... Whatever field you work in, if you acquire these three skills, you can adapt to the change we expect to happen rapidly." Rossier described the unique features of US higher education as follows: "Independence, relations with the state, inclusiveness, competitiveness and perseverance..."

NON-PROFIT UNIVERSITIES ARE INCREASING

Saying, "Universities should be flexible and have no boundaries," Rossier noted that non-profit universities are rapidly increasing in the USA. She said these universities are financed through sponsorships and continued: "In the past, people from lower social classes could not go to university. But this has now changed. For example, a donor gave 110 million dollars to our university. The only condition was that it be given to ethnic minorities or students with very low incomes."

NO STANDARD CURRICULUM

Rossier then provided information on the curricula of US universities. "We do not have a national curriculum. Each state decides on its own curriculum. Students from 135 countries attend universities in 50 states, but there is no standard curriculum."

STUDENT LIFE AT UNIVERSITY

Saying, "Student life in the USA is very colorful," Rossier also described life on university campuses: "Life is very different at universities with dormitories. Many universities guarantee housing for students. Faculty members are even accommodated in this housing, creating a strong relationship between students and teachers."

THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE UNIVERSITY

Stating that the role of the president is also very important at universities, Rossier said, "The president of one university says he works 315 days a year. So many events are organized... The president's duty is to encourage others, to be the eyes and ears of a university, to be open to change... Presidents and deans also work to secure funding."

WE WILL HAVE HYBRID CLASSROOMS IN 2020

Rossier also drew attention to the importance of online education at universities and described her goals for 2020 as follows:

"We will have hybrid classrooms in 2020; some students will attend class, others will receive online education, and the focus will change... That is why we must now train people to work in teams. The future of our country depends on young people; we must invest in young people."