The University Next Door

Book excerpt: The challenges public comprehensive universities face today are expanding, they have been challenged to enroll and graduate more students, adopt new technologies that lower cost without sacraficing quality, and align program and curricular offerings with the skills that employers require. While these universities have a long history of adapting to change, today's environment will likely test the capabilties of even the most adaptive institutions. This volume assembles a team of experts from a variety of disciplines to examine both the history of the comprehensive university and what lies ahead. Overall, the book grapples with such questions as: How do these institutions adapt to serve the growing population of non-traditional students? How well do they prepare graduates for the labour market? Can partnerships between community colleges and comprehensive universities bolster student success? The University Next Door draws a much-needed attention to a set of institutions that has historiacally received little notice, yet play an important role in meeting our new attainment goals and helping the economy grow. This book: examines the role of comprehensive universities from start to finish, their history and future; uses empirical analysis to explore complex questions about which students choose these universities and why; explores how these institiutions might struggle under a federal ratings system such as the one proposed by President Obama; discusses how these institutions can better monitor the needs of the economy and better educate students to fill those needs; and provides recommendations to inform future decisions about higher education policy.