Crisis in Higher Education : A Customer-Focused, Resource Management Resolution

While many students, parents, educators, and organizations who hire their graduates hold US universities in high regard, the cost of higher education has risen much faster than the rate of inflation. High costs, in turn, have severely limited access to higher education for large portions of the US population or caused graduates and those who fall short of graduation to face substantial student loan debt. This book examines the root causes of these underlying problems and offers a comprehensive, easy-to-understand, high-impact solution. The book identifies actions that improve higher education outcomes including lower tuition costs, better access for student from low and middle income homes, faster throughput, fewer dropouts, and better job opportunities for graduates. It links a real and implementable solution to the underlying problems and their root causes. Upon finishing this book, readers should understand why the performance of higher education needs to improve and have solid ideas about how to fix it. The book focuses on public universities, but the ideas discussed are also applicable to private for-profit and not-for-profit universities. The writing style is simple and direct.

This book uses a resource management perspective to examine how: (1) curriculum and pedagogy are created, (2) faculty roles, effectiveness, and efficiency are determined, (3) technology is employed, (4) administration and management must be reformed, and (5) relationships among high schools, community and technical colleges, and universities must be revamped.

Preface

Chapter 1 : The Higher Education Conundrum
Chapter 2 : Identifying the Underlying Problems
Chapter 3 : Understanding the Root Causes
Chapter 4 : A Customer-Focused, Resource Management Resolution
Chapter 5 : Focusing on the Ultimate Customer
Chapter 6 : Becoming Student-Centered
Chapter 7 : Determining Government’s Role in Higher Education
Chapter 8 : Redesigning Curriculum and Pedagogy
Chapter 9 : Reshaping the Faculty Structure and Role
Chapter 10 : Creating High Technology Teaching Materials
Chapter 11 : Reforming Administration and Management
Chapter 12 : Revamping Relationships among High Schools, Community and Technical Colleges, and Universities
Chapter 13 : Framing and Implementing a Practical Solution

Index