Academic Life, Reconsidered

Thirty-Plus Years in Academe Has Given Me Some Perspective

I’ve spent more than three decades in higher education, so I’ve watched closehand as the profound transformations and challenges facing universities continue to grow menacingly. Now is the time for faculty and administrators to fully face up to these troubling trends. While I still deeply believe in the mission of higher education, I’ve come to realize that some criticisms leveled at it are not only valid but deserve our urgent attention. These include elitism and disconnection from everyday realities, administrative bloat, and the unsustainable rise in tuition costs. Nearly every major university has had to confront each of these. Addressing these issues is essential to ensure universities continue to fulfill their potential as drivers of individual opportunity and social innovation. This is even more so the case as the very mission of higher education is being critically scrutinized by the Right.

I believe that we are witnessing a major change in higher education, brought about not only by the pandemic but also by evolving structural processes that have intensified in recent years. As Frederick M. Hess of the conservative American Enterprise Institute has noted in a recent editorial to university leaders, the Trump administration’s policies signal a fundamental shift in how the federal government engages with higher education, framing it as a partisan battleground rather than a collaborative partner. This is not merely a debate over budget cuts or policy efficiency—it is reframing the situation as a bitter struggle over the ideological direction of universities and their role in society. This new approach has no place in a liberal society. Illiberal societies like Hungary seek to dictate the role of universities in their society.

Over the years, critics have accused higher education of fostering elitism and losing touch with the everyday lives of most Americans. While largely overblown, this critique nevertheless warrants our close attention. It is certainly true that many universities prioritize prestige, rankings, and international appeal over serving the communities they’re part of. Big university research agendas often emphasize global recognition over addressing pressing local issues such as public health, economic development, or community education. This is true because there are few incentives for large universities, particularly private, to be responsive to the needs of the nearby communities.

I’ve been fortunate to work at an institution—Saint Louis University—that prides itself on reaching out to the local community. However, even here, the results of this engagement have been decidedly mixed.

Another reason for the disconnect is the way academics often communicate. The specialized language we use can make even important research hard to understand—not just for the general public, but for other educated people outside our field. It’s common for someone with a Ph.D. in one discipline to struggle with work from another. This habit of “talking to ourselves” fuels the view that academics are out of touch and uninterested in engaging with the wider world. We’ve become too wrapped up in our own little corners. Not only our we doing the larger community a disservice, but we are also doing ourselves a huge disservice.

This disconnect fuels resentment among the public, particularly in rural and working-class communities, where universities are often viewed as ivory towers populated by out-of-touch academics. Recent enrollment trends underscore this divide. As Jeffrey J. Selingo notes in his newsletter article titled "What's Happening to 'Target Schools'", many families with financial means are "skipping over" middle-tier colleges in favor of either elite institutions or more affordable alternatives. This pattern reflects growing doubt about whether higher education genuinely serves the needs of diverse populations. To regain public trust, universities must reorient their missions toward solving real-world problems, encouraging and creating partnerships with local communities, and improving access for underrepresented groups.

Another pressing issue is the exponential growth in administrative positions over the past few decades. Between 1980 and 2020, university administration grew significantly faster than faculty, resulting in bloated bureaucracies that often detract from the core missions of teaching and research. Universities now employ veritable armies of non-academic staff, including compliance officers, diversity administrators, and public relations specialists. While some of these positions are necessary, many are redundant or duplicative.

This administrative expansion comes at a cost. Resources that could be spent on hiring more faculty, updating laboratories, or lowering tuition are instead allocated to support growing layers of bureaucracy. Jeffrey J. Selingo’s proposal for "networked universities" highlights one potential solution: deeper partnerships between institutions that share resources like career services, legal operations, and even academic programs. Tackling this issue requires a hard look at administrative inefficiencies and a commitment to streamlining operations to better serve students and faculty alike.

The skyrocketing cost of college education is perhaps the most visible and alarming symptom of higher education’s dysfunction. Over the last 30 years, tuition has risen at a rate far outpacing inflation, burdening students with crippling debt. One of the driving forces behind these increases is universities’ obsession with amenities designed to attract prospective students. From luxury dormitories and climbing walls to expansive athletic facilities, many places have prioritized campus aesthetics over affordability and academic rigor.

While these attractions may boost enrollment in the short term, they come at a steep cost, often financed through loans that add to institutional debt. Worse, they perpetuate a culture that emphasizes the college experience as a “lifestyle” rather than an academic endeavor.

Shifting enrollment patterns reveal a broader problem: families are increasingly unwilling to pay full tuition unless it’s for a top-tier institution. This behavior reflects how higher education has trained families to expect discounts, creating financial pressures on institutions that rely on tuition revenues. Universities must refocus their spending on what truly matters: quality education, robust support services, and initiatives that prepare students for the workforce without saddling them with unsustainable debt.

Higher education is at a crossroads. To remain relevant and effective, universities must confront these criticisms head-on. This means breaking down barriers of elitism by becoming more attuned to community needs and fostering intellectual diversity. It requires eliminating redundant administrative roles and directing resources toward teaching, research, and student support. And it necessitates a rethinking of spending priorities to curb tuition inflation and ensure accessibility.

Change will not be easy. Especially in Academe. It requires leadership willing to challenge the status quo and a collective recognition that universities exist to serve the public good, not just their own prestige. But without such efforts, the criticisms—valid as they are—will only grow louder, further eroding trust in one of society’s most important institutions.