Higher Education: Higher Education: Where We’ve Gone WrongWhere We’ve Gone Wrong

Faculty Lecture February 14, 2008Faculty Lecture February 14, 2008

Dan Rice, DeanDan Rice, DeanCollege of Education and Human DevelopmentCollege of Education and Human Development

Professor, Educational LeadershipProfessor, Educational Leadership

AssumptionAssumption

The one who defines the issue The one who defines the issue has the advantage!has the advantage!

The ways in which we’ve gone wrong:The ways in which we’ve gone wrong:

1.1. Acquiescing to the business model.Acquiescing to the business model.

2.2. Allowing overemphasis on individual Allowing overemphasis on individual benefit.benefit.

3.3. Losing the moral high ground.Losing the moral high ground.

1. Acquiescing to the 1. Acquiescing to the business modelbusiness model

““Corporate Academe”Corporate Academe”

““The key to understanding what had The key to understanding what had occurred, as analysts saw it, was the occurred, as analysts saw it, was the degree to which academic degree to which academic institutions in many fundamental respects institutions in many fundamental respects had come to differ but little from traditional had come to differ but little from traditional business enterprises seeking to survive in business enterprises seeking to survive in the marketplace.”the marketplace.”

– Lucas, 1994Lucas, 1994

““The connection between higher education and The connection between higher education and major corporations… imperils colleges and major corporations… imperils colleges and universities in much the same way as the universities in much the same way as the church and the state have threatened university church and the state have threatened university integrity in the past. And preoccupation on the integrity in the past. And preoccupation on the part of the academy with the priorities of part of the academy with the priorities of business and industry may mean that…larger business and industry may mean that…larger social mandates… will be compromised.” social mandates… will be compromised.”

– Carnegie Endowment for the Advancement of Teaching Carnegie Endowment for the Advancement of Teaching

““Higher education has been led down a path of Higher education has been led down a path of corporate restructuring and management, instilling corporate restructuring and management, instilling a privatized, consumerist vision of the academy. a privatized, consumerist vision of the academy. While there has been an equilibrium that While there has been an equilibrium that historically defined the purposes of education in historically defined the purposes of education in the United States, with preparation for democratic the United States, with preparation for democratic citizenship balanced by job preparation, the citizenship balanced by job preparation, the dominance of the corporate model has created a dominance of the corporate model has created a pervasive imbalance.”pervasive imbalance.”

– Saltmarsh, 2002Saltmarsh, 2002

2. Allowing overemphasis on 2. Allowing overemphasis on individual benefit.individual benefit.

““From the beginning the American college From the beginning the American college was cloaked with a public purpose…” was cloaked with a public purpose…”

– Rudolph , 1990Rudolph , 1990

““The two cardinal principles of English The two cardinal principles of English Puritanism which most profoundly affected Puritanism which most profoundly affected the social development of New England the social development of New England and the United States were not religious and the United States were not religious tenants, but educational ideals: a learned tenants, but educational ideals: a learned clergy, and a lettered people.”clergy, and a lettered people.”

– Morison, 1935Morison, 1935

Central to these ideals was the development Central to these ideals was the development of Harvard College, the college which would of Harvard College, the college which would train the schoolmasters, the divines, the train the schoolmasters, the divines, the rulers, the cultured ornaments of society… rulers, the cultured ornaments of society… Of course a religious commonwealth Of course a religious commonwealth required an educated clergy, but it also required an educated clergy, but it also needed leaders disciplined by knowledge needed leaders disciplined by knowledge and learning…and learning…

– Rudolph, 1990Rudolph, 1990

““Anything more hateful, more repugnant to Anything more hateful, more repugnant to our natural instincts, more calamitous at our natural instincts, more calamitous at once to learning and to the people, more once to learning and to the people, more unrepublican, more undemocratic, more unrepublican, more undemocratic, more unchristian than a system which should unchristian than a system which should confine the priceless boon of higher confine the priceless boon of higher education to the rich.” education to the rich.”

– Augell, 1873Augell, 1873

The Morrill Act of 1862 The Morrill Act of 1862

Providing for the disposition of public land Providing for the disposition of public land (taken from native peoples)(taken from native peoples)

Creating opportunities for the working Creating opportunities for the working class to be educatedclass to be educated

Promoting science and its application to Promoting science and its application to the needs of society, including agriculture.the needs of society, including agriculture.

““Instead of introducing the student of Instead of introducing the student of agriculture to a laboratory and chemical agriculture to a laboratory and chemical and philosophical apparatus, we would and philosophical apparatus, we would introduce him to a pair of heavy neat’s introduce him to a pair of heavy neat’s leather boots and corduroy pants and leather boots and corduroy pants and learn him how to load manure.”learn him how to load manure.”

Starting in 1978, however, the focus of federal Starting in 1978, however, the focus of federal programs for student financial aid changed, from programs for student financial aid changed, from an emphasis on grants for students with financial an emphasis on grants for students with financial need toward and emphasis on readily available need toward and emphasis on readily available student loans. The Guaranteed Student Loan Act student loans. The Guaranteed Student Loan Act was especially attractive both to banks and to was especially attractive both to banks and to students from relatively prosperous families. As students from relatively prosperous families. As such, it extended the net of participants. The such, it extended the net of participants. The price of this short-run popularity, however, was price of this short-run popularity, however, was that in the coming decades the emphasis on that in the coming decades the emphasis on federal loans meant that an increasing number of federal loans meant that an increasing number of recent college graduates would be saddled with recent college graduates would be saddled with large amounts of debt.large amounts of debt.

– Thelin, 2004Thelin, 2004

3. Losing the moral high ground3. Losing the moral high ground

What we will loseWhat we will lose

1.1. The loss of the university as an arbiter of The loss of the university as an arbiter of knowledge in all its forms.knowledge in all its forms.

2.2. The loss of the university as a social The loss of the university as a social critic.critic.

3.3. The loss of the university as a model of The loss of the university as a model of what we hope for the larger society in what we hope for the larger society in terms of justice, respect for persons, terms of justice, respect for persons, civility, and best practices.civility, and best practices.

What we should do to recoverWhat we should do to recover

1.1. Resist allowing higher education to be Resist allowing higher education to be defined in mostly economic terms.defined in mostly economic terms.

2.2. Place major emphasis on the social good Place major emphasis on the social good of higher education.of higher education.

3.3. Work to regain the moral high ground by Work to regain the moral high ground by words and actions.words and actions.

So what?So what?

What are the consequences?What are the consequences?1.1. There are consequences for There are consequences for publicpublic funding. funding.

2.2. There are consequences for There are consequences for privateprivate funding. funding.

3.3. There are consequences for student financial aid.There are consequences for student financial aid.

4.4. Which means there are consequences for who gains Which means there are consequences for who gains access to a college degree.access to a college degree.

5.5. There are consequences for institutional leadership.There are consequences for institutional leadership.

6.6. There are consequences for our society and the world.There are consequences for our society and the world.

““One common definition (and my own) of One common definition (and my own) of what is most important is: high concern for what is most important is: high concern for student access, for faculty quality, and for student access, for faculty quality, and for institutional autonomy. The main institutional autonomy. The main alternative is a gradually diminished status alternative is a gradually diminished status quo in each area—and overall of the soul quo in each area—and overall of the soul of the university. of the university.

– Kerr, 2001Kerr, 2001

I could be wrong.I could be wrong.