When I began my career in higher education, a college degree was universally viewed as part of the American dream. It was promised as a ticket to a flourishing life, and families would sacrifice almost anything to get their children into a university.Today, the American view has shifted. As I interact with alumni, community leaders, and prospective families across the country, I hear a growing concern. They still believe in academic rigor and culture, but they are worried that the financial and cultural cost is too high to risk having their beliefs questioned and torn down. They look at the modern landscape on campuses and no longer see a place that will propel their child’s future. Instead, they see an unpredictable and expensive gamble.This shift in public perception of higher education was highlighted in a recent poll conducted by Gallup and Lumina.
UNIVERSITIES CANNOT SURVIVE AS LEFT-WING ECHO CHAMBERS
The numbers tell a sobering truth that many of us in the academic world have sensed for years. Overall public confidence in higher education has plummeted to just 36%, a massive drop from the 57% confidence mark seen just a decade ago. Even more cause for concern is that 68% of people now say higher education is heading in the wrong direction.
