• December 9, 2013  College Presidents Are Too Complacent
Michael Morgenstern for The Chronicle  Enlarge Image close
5737-yankelovich  Michael Morgenstern for The Chronicle  This
issue of The Chronicle features two important surveys of higher
education: one with college presidents and one with the public.
These new data give us a chance to take a second look at some of
the trends I discussed in an article for The Chronicle in
November 2005. At that time, those trends appeared to be pushing
higher education into a new era of turmoil, crisis, and
challenge.  In sharp contrast to my 2005 article, the tone of
the two new Chronicle surveys suggests to me the opposite of
turmoil and crisis. Though some Americans grumble about not
getting great value for their money, the vast majority are
pretty well satisfied with the performance of higher education.
Most Americans who have been exposed to higher education feel
that their investment has been a sound one. A majority of
college presidents believe that higher educat