Today it is a mature industry, and in return for continuing support, through direct funding, grants and student aid, government is asking a good many questions. Once higher education could simply add new activities to the old, but the current wisdom is that it must do more with less. We in academia must figure out what is really critical to us and what we are willing to give up. Not all of these choices will be ours alone. Our students, as well as our governments, have changing expectations.
Information economies require higher levels of education and more frequent education.
More of the new student body may be part time, working and older. I asked some student in this new breed what relationship they wanted with their colleges. They told me that it should be like the relationship with a utility company, supermarket or bank-their emphasis was on convenience, service, quality and affordability. This group is going to gravitate toward online instruction, with education at home or in the workplace. An amazing phenomenon is the for-profit University of Phoenix, which has all the appropriate accreditation and is traded on the stock exchange.