How Should Colleges Meet This Moment? (column)

"I worry less than I did a year or two ago that huge numbers of higher education professionals think everything is just peachy and that most colleges can ride out this trough of public opinion and enrollment declines and be fine. (I still fear that far too many trustees and professors, and a surprising number of senior leaders, continue to believe that about their own institution. Most of them are wrong.)"

"My larger concern right now is that amid the omnipresent and sometimes unfair attacks by the Trump administration, many people in and around higher education are far more focused on defending the industry than on acknowledging its actual flaws and working to fix them."

"I'm squarely in the camp of believing both that higher education remains an essential, irreplaceable part of the American landscape and that the vast majority of colleges and universities, and the industry as a whole, need to adapt meaningfully to respond to what individuals and society need from them now."

At the American Council on Education annual meeting, college and university leaders gathered to discuss higher education's future. The central question concerns whether institutional leaders recognize that maintaining the current system is insufficient. While fewer administrators appear complacent about higher education's challenges compared to previous years, a significant concern persists: many professionals prioritize defending the industry against external criticism rather than addressing legitimate internal problems. External pressures, including government scrutiny, create defensive postures that may hinder necessary institutional reform. Despite these challenges, evidence suggests some leaders are beginning to acknowledge the need for meaningful adaptation to meet evolving societal and individual needs.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs