Charting A New Course For UPCEA - Thomas Gibbons, the Evolllution

Today’s economic realities have forced higher education to begin rethinking its fundamental business model—a model that for the past 30 years or more has seen the cost of college far outpace the cost of living for ordinary families. Universities throughout the nation, except perhaps the most elite institutions with their large endowments, hefty financial aid packages and prestigious reputations, have been compelled to consider three critical issues: access, affordability and accountability. This is happening as the public has begun to seriously question whether the high cost of a university degree is worth the price, especially at a time when more and more graduates with crushing student-loan debt cannot find jobs after leaving campus. This presents a tremendous opportunity for continuing and professional higher education, where such schools and divisions often have a reputation for innovation and flexibility, and a philosophy of providing greater access to learning at more affordable tuition prices.