It's not really "news" that some students do not complete their degrees on a traditional timetable; what's big news is that many do ultimately earn their degrees and go on to become great examples of academic achievement to inspire their children and families.

Let's never forget that we strive to teach students -- the awarding of degrees is a natural outcome, not necessarily the primary goal.

We used to lead the world in college degrees. Now we've fallen dangerously behind. That's why we've set an ambitious goal for ourselves: we want 55 percent of Americans to have a college degree by the year 2025.

An unintended consequence of the exclusive focus on graduation percentages is that it can mask -- and even exacerbate -- problems with access to and equity in our nation's colleges and universities.