Why and how American colleges and universities need to change in order
to meet the nation's pressing needs
American higher education faces some serious problems--but they are not
the ones most people think. In this brief and accessible book, two
leading experts show that many so-called crises--from the idea that
typical students are drowning in debt to the belief that tuition
increases are being driven by administrative bloat--are exaggerated or
simply false. At the same time, many real problems--from the high
dropout rate to inefficient faculty staffing--have received far too
little attention. In response, William G. Bowen and Michael S. McPherson
provide a frank assessment of the biggest challenges confronting higher
education and propose a bold agenda for reengineering essential elements
of the system to meet them. The result promises to help shape the debate
about higher education for years to come.
Lesson Plan shows that, for all of its accomplishments, higher
education today is falling short when it comes to vital national needs.
Too many undergraduates are dropping out or taking too long to graduate;
minorities and the poor fare worse than their peers, reinforcing
inequality; and college is unaffordable for too many. But these problems
could be greatly reduced by making significant changes, including
targeting federal and state funding more efficiently; allocating less
money for "merit aid" and more to match financial need; creating a
respected "teaching corps" that would include nontenure faculty;
improving basic courses in fields such as math by combining adaptive
learning and face-to-face teaching; strengthening leadership; and
encouraging more risk taking.
It won't be easy for faculty, administrators, trustees, and legislators
to make such sweeping changes, but only by doing so will they make it
possible for our colleges and universities to meet the nation's demands
tomorrow and into the future.
