The Next Generation University
With the economy stuck in neutral, tuition prices and student loan debt skyrocketing, and parents and students increasingly questioning the value of a college degree, our public institutions urgently need a different approach to the challenge of educating at a reasonable cost an increasingly diverse mix of students. But only a handful of leaders have tried to build a more inclusive and less expensive system. Rather than focus on the race for prestige that rewards exclusivity, these leaders are building the Next Generation University, one that is structured to better serve tomorrow’s students.
This report focuses on a group of institutions that play a particularly important role in the face of these challenges— public research universities. These universities occupy a critical place in the higher education ecosystem. Their faculties conduct nationally significant research even as the universities are deeply rooted in their communities. They are engines of economic growth and socioeconomic opportunity, producing regional business leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, civic leaders and elected officials.
