minahkaypoh

It is often said that access/diversity and affordability in higher education can only come at the expense of quality. Thus, it is all-too-common for critics  to cast those in favor of broadening college access as socialists who simply want to destroy high-quality educational institutions. They promote a false dichotomy that has been kept alive for decades by the consistent retelling of the "tragedy of the commons." The tragedy, we're told, is that people will always strive to maximize their private benefits, and that eventually these will necessarily come at the expense of common goods.  Garrett Hardin famously laid this out for us in 1968. Sadly, far too many people seem to think the tragedy of the commons is a problem that can't be solved. The "iron triangle" model dominating decision-making in higher education confirms this-- since "we know" that spending leads to quality (thus less spending leads to less quality), and that increased access (e.g...

In response to recent student demand, I have decided to offer my higher education policy course this spring. Here's some info. EPS 518: Introduction to Debates in Higher Education Policy Spring 2012 Tuesdays, 225-5:25 pm Open to Undergraduates and Graduate Students In this course students will learn to think critically about debates in contemporary higher education policy. Our discussions will explore the tensions between key policy goals including diversity, quality, and efficiency, and the results (including unintended consequences) of those tensions. We’ll also examine the research brought to bear on policy debates, and how it is used-- or not-- to shape policy agendas. This semester we will focus on three big debates dominating contemporary higher education policy: (1) Who should attend higher education? (2) Who should pay for higher education? (3) How can federal, state, and institutional policies most effectively support students who wish to attend college and earn degrees?...