But again a little just a little history may be in order. It was Albert Einstein who said, Everything has changed but our ways of thinking, and if these do not change, we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe. I offered a variation on that theme in my inaugural address nine years ago when I warned that a revolution was coming in which we would have to reinvent the American university to provide greater access for students, while also maintaining high quality. Money was tight, and the calls to be more accountable for our public funds were increasing. Later during the 90s, we would feel the pressure from for-profit colleges like the University of Phoenix that were introducing a new kind of competition for our students.
Competition always does.
Well, this seems like a pretty good time to assess whether we were the victims of the revolution, or the victors. The short answer is, the revolution is not yet over. But so far, I believe we have been the victors. The ultimate outcome of the revolution is particularly important, because higher education has become so essential to success. Fifty years ago, perhaps 20 percent of jobs required education beyond high school.