Today, the overall college-going population is diffused across both traditional and non-traditional institutions. Though for most, “higher education” conjures images of research universities and liberal arts colleges, most of the country’s college students are served by community colleges—“the workhorses of U.S. higher education,” according to the editors. Meanwhile, for-profit schools are the fastest-growing component of the national postsecondary sector, sustained by generous federal funding.
While traditional institutions eat up the lion’s share of the media and policy attention, much of the work of higher education is happening in these ostensibly peripheral education spaces. Stevens and Kirst contend that it is high time to turn our attention to these spaces, to radically expand the research landscape of higher education, and to fundamentally reassess what college is for, and how it can be packaged to meet the needs of diverse students in varying life stages.
Watch a brief interview with co-editor Mitchell Stevens:
Join the conversation: Michael Kirst and Mitchell Stevens will discuss their new book and its themes at the University of California, Berkeley on Wednesday, March 18th 4pm-5pm. See full event details here.
