Editor’s note: This is part of a Deseret Magazine series examining the question: What happened to the promise of college?
Higher education finds itself under a harsh spotlight. Politicians accuse colleges and universities of ideological bias, irrelevance, financial irresponsibility and cultural insularity. Abrupt federal funding freezes and threats to international student enrollment are generating fear and lawsuits. Republicans appear now to be the main critics of higher education, but Democrats in years past have also raised plenty of complaints.
Understandably, many within higher education have responded defensively, seeking to protect their institutions during what feels like a moment of existential crisis. But let’s acknowledge a crucial truth: American higher education has always faced deep scrutiny, often during times of national unrest, and it has always responded best by reforming, not retreating…