Column: Higher education crises and how to beat them

By Gene A. Budig. From student loans to graduation rates, higher education is mess.
There is much talk about the skyrocketing rise in college tuition. For most people, there is a real fear that a four-year degree has become unaffordable. This cost issue is a serious problem, but it is not the only challenge in higher education. The whole sector is facing increased scrutiny on a variety of fronts.
Concern about the performance of higher education is no longer limited to policymakers and researchers. It is widespread, and for good reason: The failures of our colleges and universities are reflected in our economy, our social stability and our quest for an equitable society. In a recent poll by Time magazine and the Carnegie Corp., 89% of U.S. adults say higher education is in crisis; 54% say it is moving in the wrong direction; 96% of senior higher education administrators say their sector is in crisis; 40% say that crisis is "severe." Read more...