the ranking phenomenon
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and gowns, and pomp and circumstance. Those who enter its hallowed
halls are following the paths of great men and women. Like them, students
will be asked to study hard and think deep thoughts so that after four years
they can emerge like butterflies from a cocoon--adults ready to become
leaders of our nation.
It's fine to respect tradition and to be inspired by the noble heritage
of higher learning. But it's also true that higher learning has changed--
radically. Both as communities
and as an idea, colleges and uni-
versities bear little resemblance
to the fantasy world inhabited by
Oxford Dons or Absent Minded
Professors. Nor does it have
much in common with the kind
of institution it really was even a
generation or two ago. The
buildings still stand, the ivy still grows, and the books still fill library shelves,
but more than ever before these symbols look and act like stage props.
They represent the spirit and look great on tours. But behind the façade
there exists a very different world.
What exactly has changed? For one, education is no longer for the
lucky few. If parents of today's students went to college, they were
probably the first in their families to do so. If their parents went to
college, they were a distinct minority. And so it went down through
the generations. Dating back to the genesis of our nation, college was
an option--and choice--for just a very small percentage of the popu-
lation. Congregationalist ministers and lawyers often held college de-
grees. Some (but not all) presidents did, too. The rest? Not likely. For
us, however, college is the norm. More than 60 percent of Americans
now enter a college or university and surveys of Americans show that
the vast majority--whether college bound or not--agree that higher
education is good and desirable.
More than 60 percent of Americans
now enter a college or university
and surveys of Americans show
that the vast majority--whether
college bound or not--agree that
higher education is good and
desirable.
