Web Only

Swift and fundamental changes are coming to the world's colleges, universities, and schools. The changes are riding a wave of new attitudes about the role of government in education, who should support education, the responsibilities of students and parents, education as a competitive industry, and more. Some might say education is an industry at risk.

Over the past several months, the message has been hard to miss. University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann spoke in March on the value of access. Amherst College (Mass.) President Tony Marx talked about it in a February issue of Business Week. Stanford, Harvard, and other schools made national headlines with their own financial aid announcements.

Five presidents of U.S. colleges and universities today voiced heavy criticism of cuts in federal higher education programs being considered by Congress in the next week.

The presidents--Douglas Bennett of Earlham College (Ind.), Michael McCall of Kentucky Community and Technical College, David Shi of Furman College (S.C.), William Troutt of Rhodes College (Tenn.), and John Welty of California State University, Fresno-decried the proposed cuts as a "raid on student aid."

Picture these scenarios:

At 1 a.m., a student heading back to her dorm after a late-night study group skips the shuttle, opting for a cross-campus walk, sans company, instead.

On his way back to campus after a party, a muscular athlete with a fear-nothing image gets a little spooked and thinks someone may be following him.

A student, whose friends have already headed to another destination, has "one too many" at an urban bar 12 miles from campus and thinks she might pass out.

Bringing real-world job experience into higher education has always been a challenge. This is particularly true for professional programs such as architecture, engineering, construction, and urban design. For colleges and universities, striking the right balance between academics and vocational experience is often a difficult task.

By Jean Marie Angelo

University officials have undergone a crash course over the last few years in the need for more reliable sources of power. Life-threatening weather patterns, widespread blackouts, and terrorist threats have all weakened an already fragile power grid. And the lesson learned? All three instances will continue to play a significant factor for years to come.

Just as the internet has created opportunities in the business world that were once unimaginable, it is also revolutionizing higher education, especially in driving student enrollment.