Andrew Delbanco, College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be

Excerpt

This book situates itself within the crisis in higher education and, as such, is engaging to read. Crisis books are often diverting, sometimes even because they are addressing a real problem. Everyone knows that higher education is in crisis. First, there is the looming financial crisis that could bring down the whole edifice. Student debt has overtaken credit card debt and is on the way to challenge mortgage debt in this country. We all wonder how long tuition can keep rising, especially when students seem to learn so little. And that is the second crisis: what are they studying, if they are studying anything at all? The author is no conservative nor is he some romantic longing for a bygone era. But he is honest enough to admit that something has gone wrong. …