The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students
by Jeffrey J. Selingo
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Readers' rating:
Published May 2013
256 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
What is the value of a college degree?
The four-year college experience is as American as apple pie. So is the belief that education offers a ticket to a better life. But with student-loan debt surpassing the $1 trillion mark and unemployment on the rise, people are beginning to question that value. Is a college diploma still worth pursuing at any price?
In College (Un)bound, Jeffrey J. Selingo, editor at large for The Chronicle for Higher Education, argues that America's higher education system is broken. The great credential race has turned universities into big business and fostered an environment where middle tier colleges can command elite university-level tuition while concealing staggeringly low graduation rates and churning out students with few hard skills into the job market.
Selingo not only turns a critical eye to the current state of affairs in higher education, but he also predicts how technology will transform it for the better. Free massive online open courses (MOOCs) and hybrid classes, adaptive learning software, and the unbundling of traditional degree credits will increase access to high quality education regardless of budget or location and tailor lesson plans to individual needs. One thing is certain—the Class of 2020 will have a radically different college experience than their parents.
Incisive, urgent, and controversial, College (Un)bound is a must-read for prospective students, parents, and anyone concerned with the future of American higher education.
"Starred Review. Part cultural critique, part trend-spotting, and part advice for students and parents navigating a flawed system. [College (Un)bound] delivers a powerful message to colleges themselves: the system is broken, and both their success as institutions and the future success of our workforce depends on their willingness to incorporate unbundled, lower-cost systems that allow students to customize their education." - Publishers Weekly
"A mixture of alarm and hope, wisdom and portending." - Kirkus Reviews
"Jeff Selingo is one of the most respected observers of American higher education...Not all will agree with his observations, conclusions, predictions and recommendations, but all will gain from this thoughtful, well-written, provocative volume. I highly recommend it." - David J. Skorton, President of Cornell University
"You can wade through the shelf full of books on the changes coming to American colleges and universities – or you can read this one." - Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University and former Governor of Indiana
"America's higher ed system is at a crossroads today…Selingo introduces us to the students, teachers, and entrepreneurs who are rethinking our iconic vision of what college will mean for students in the next decade." - Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class
College (Un)bound is both the most comprehensive and the most provocative." - Rebecca Chopp, President of Swarthmore College
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jeffrey J. Selingo is a leading authority on higher education worldwide and editor at large for The Chronicle of Higher Education. He frequently speaks before national higher-education groups and his writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Huffington Post.
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