Speaker: Mark G. Yudof, professor of law, University of California Berkeley School of Law; president emeritus, University of California; chancellor emeritus, University of Texas System; president emeritus, University of Minnesota
Introduction: James E. Ryan, dean and Charles William Eliot Professor of Education, HGSE
For much of the post-World War II period, higher education got a pass from the public, mass media and politicians. Unchallenged in its importance, the primary concerns related to access. Would African Americans, Latinos, women and other groups be given a fair shot at a university education? Was there adequate financial aid for families with low incomes? Today a different game is afoot. It is open season on universities. There are endless media stories on the magnitude of student debt, rarely mentioning the benefits of a college degree. There is a chorus of politicians calling for more accountability, new rating systems, and proof that college is worth the investment. There is even talk that federal financial aid only enables universities to raise tuition. Some entrepreneurs advise students to skip higher ed altogether. Yudof explores how and why this attitudinal transformation occurred, its roots in the cost disease afflicting education, and its more contested status as a public good. He also suggests a reality check and a number of needed reforms.
