Michael S. Roth, Trinity University, writing in The New York Times: “College should not be a prerequisite for advancing one’s prospects in life, but everyone should have an opportunity to continue education as a young adult, either in a good apprenticeship, trade school, two-year college or university. The best universities would be even better if they invested more in finding talented students in places they have historically overlooked — if they went beyond the usual metrics of meritocracy that elite families know how to use to their advantage.” Read the full commentary here.
(Article recommended to FutureU by Roger Barbee.)
EDITOR’S RESPONSE: I lived through the transition of higher education leadership from those who viewed higher education as a public good (all of my mentors were of that ilk) to higher education as a neoliberal offering where the emphasis shifted to higher ed as a money center (bring in the cash), beat the competition, and where students were viewed as customers and faculty became employees. We would need to go “Back to the Future” To achieve what Roth proposes. That transition, which I do not think will happen, would require a long and persistent effort, including (very importantly) removing neoliberals from authority. A colleague of mine was once involved in such an effort, and he said it took him seven years to clean out and replace people in just one unit. Besides, the fundamental issue here is not just with higher education. America at large has embraced neoliberalism (and worse, including a fascist brand of authoritarianism), and that connection was well demonstrated in the ’24 election results. So, my response to Roth is this. Rather than waving a wand over the system, those inclined need to do what they can and where they are to make this vision a reality. Do it step by step and without taking the pedal off the metal. Courage. Persistence. The rest of us need to pray they will survive long enough to see the job through.