Want to fix trust in higher ed? Look beyond the Ivies. |
In recent months, the national conversation surrounding the "crisis" in higher education has reached a fever pitch. From legislative chambers to dinner tables, the narrative is the same: Colleges and universities are losing their way, and by extension, the American public is losing its trust in the value of a degree.
The recent and widely discussed Yale report on the loss of public trust in higher education offers a sophisticated reflection on this phenomenon, detailing the internal and external pressures that have fractured the perceived stability of our most storied institutions.
The Yale report is impressive, and the points regarding academic freedom and institutional governance are deeply insightful. Self-examination is a critical part of education and pointing the way forward. Nevertheless, the study ‒ and the broader national discourse it represents ‒ suffers from a significant case of tunnel vision. By centering the debate on the selective few, we are effectively ignoring the heart of the trust problem, which is rooted less in ideology and more in practical considerations than we’re being led to believe.
The crisis of confidence in American higher education is not only driven by the estimated 5% of students attending elite, highly selective colleges. It is being driven by the reality of the other 95%.
Focus less on the most selective universities and colleges
Political and media attention on higher education too often focuses on a critique of the most selective........