A leading expert challenges the prevailing gloomy outlook on higher
education with solid evidence of its successes
Crushing student debt, rapidly eroding state funding, faculty embroiled
in speech controversies, a higher-education market disrupted by online
competition--today's headlines suggest that universities' power to
advance knowledge and shape American society is rapidly declining. But
Steven Brint, a renowned analyst of academic institutions, has tracked
numerous trends demonstrating their vitality. After a recent period that
witnessed soaring student enrollment and ample research funding,
universities, he argues, are in a better position than ever before.
Focusing on the years 1980-2015, Brint details the trajectory of
American universities, which was influenced by evolving standards of
disciplinary professionalism, market-driven partnerships (especially
with scientific and technological innovators outside the academy), and
the goal of social inclusion. Conflicts arose: academic entrepreneurs,
for example, flouted their campus responsibilities, and departments
faced backlash over the hiring of scholars with nontraditional research
agendas. Nevertheless, educators' commitments to technological
innovation and social diversity prevailed and created a new dynamism.
Brint documents these successes along with the challenges that result
from rapid change. Today, knowledge-driven industries generate almost
half of U.S. GDP, but divisions by educational level split the American
political order. Students flock increasingly to fields connected to the
power centers of American life and steer away from the liberal arts. And
opportunities for economic mobility are expanding even as academic
expectations decline.
In describing how universities can meet such challenges head on,
especially in improving classroom learning, Brint offers not only a
clear-eyed perspective on the current state of American higher education
but also a pragmatically optimistic vision for the future.
