Up until fairly recently, the higher-education establishment was riding high. Enrollments were steadily increasing and most Americans thought that going to college was good if not essential for a successful life. Today, however, enrollments are down and, more importantly, far more Americans think that higher education has become a curse for the country.
In today’s Martin Center article, Professor Richard Vedder reflects on this situation. He writes:
For years, there has been an ever-widening gap between the values and behaviors of contemporary America (“the Real World”) and those on college campuses (“the Ivory Tower”). Since, ultimately, the Ivory Tower is dependent on the Real World for the resources necessary to conduct its operations, whenever universities engage in behaviors that are perceived as outrageously inappropriate, they jeopardize their special status as highly subsidized academic villages.
Outrageously inappropriate behaviors? They have been coming along fast and furious, and people who used to be big supporters are pulling back. Also, radical students are finding out that they can pay a price for their antics. And politicians who formerly could be relied upon to just ladle money into our colleges are rethinking their position as the “negative externalities” of higher education become increasingly evident.
College and university officials are awakening to this new reality, Vedder observes:
Until recently, the shrewd college president felt that appeasing leftish campus constituencies was good for enhancing his or her campus popularity, job-security, and income-maximization. However, as other, previously acquiescent constituencies, such as major donors and important politicians, become angry, the internal calculation is increasingly for university presidents to not endorse the latest crazy left-wing idea.
Vedder’s advice for college leaders is to stop taking sides and act like an educational institution should. Let’s hope some take it.