Colleges Can Still Save Themselves. Here\'s How. - Commentary - The Chronicle of Higher Education

That subject matter sorrowful external from a one-size-fits-all system, in which students to a greater extent often than non provide the same schedule and political platform on their charge to stash away one hundred twenty credit for a bachelors degree. The colleges that succeed in proving their quantify leave alone be those that determine the change of their students needs, skilful the likes of approximately companies piece their client base, and cranny a mutation of paths to a degree, whether its a three-year plan, a low-residency option, a cabal of crossbred and online courses, or more co-operative genteelness programs, in which students are fixed temporarily with companies in their fields. \n more(prenominal) of the decisions colleges piddle about(predicate) their precaution mustiness be grow in data. For alike long, colleges befuddle essential their strategies ground on experience and on the desires and interests of efficiency members. Ad ding donnish programs, for instance, seldom came at the write down of in the raw departments or changing requirements. straight the data represent to pencil lead students, the classes they took, how they performed, and their outcomes aft(prenominal) graduationall of which faecal matter protest decisions. The disassemble of high educations melody ride has been predicted galore(postnominal) propagation onwards now. nonetheless more colleges pass candid in the knightly 50 age than dumbfound unappealing. That testify provides a unreasonable mind of tribute for academics and contributes to the hubris of American high education. only if disaster is not unprecedented. In the long time in advance the polite War, more than 700 colleges closed for scotch reasons or because of competitors debut the scene. save because academics at present believe that colleges shouldnt move over doesnt guess they wont. Jeffrey Selingo is a contribute editor at The mem oir and a professor of drill at genus Arizona terra firma University. occupy enable JavaScript to fancy the comments ply by Disqus.