Transforming U.S.A. Higher Education in the 21st Century

I haven't read it yet but Joshua Kim of Inside Higher Education offers considerable praise for American Higher Education in the 21st Century, by editors Bastedo, Altbach, and Gumport. Kim expressed struggling with the depth reflected in the 17 chapters but found the audio book more manageable. A core assumption of the book is that higher education in the U.S.A. is an "ecosystem in transition," one that is moving very quickly and, yet, not fast enough. The authors of the various chapters were characterized as progressive in their views, maintaining the belief in the transformational contribution of education, and from diverse backgrounds that moved beyond known names.

The warning that higher education is not moving fast enough is not new. Many believe that higher education is slow to consider alternatives to its present or change in the long run. The new center at the University of Oregon may provide a small window in what is required for organizations to thrive. Its Center for Institutional Courage will sponsor research that focuses on "an institution's commitment to seek the truth and engage in moral action, despite unpleasantness, risk, and short-term cost... a pledge to protect and care for those who depend on the institution." Two specific examples cited in the article describing the Center are protecting whistle blowers and acknowledging wrongdoing. With reputation and "spin" so prominent in the life of influential organizations such as colleges and universities, centering truth and moral action may be a great place to start.