47. Signs of the Apocalypse or a New Reality: Whither Higher Ed?

The signs are all around us.  But what are they telling us?  Colleges are closing or merging. Others are acquiring sister institutions in an effort to remain viable.  Students (remember them?) are being negatively impacted and/or disenfranchised, and many are opting out of postsecondary education altogether.  Meanwhile, declining birth rates will lead to fewer high school graduates to populate freshman classes.  There are at least two takeaways. First, the higher education community needs to pay attention to what these trends mean.  If these are signs of struggling to survive, is higher ed addressing the underlying problem or just applying band aids?  Second, could that underlying problem be the unsustainable business model that is out of step with the rest of American society?  Tune and hear about it. EdUp Insights is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network