The academic year is almost upon many of us again.  In that spirit, it seems fitting to write about academics.  The following are random thoughts about the present and future of higher education in America, particularly Christian higher education.  It is not an exhaustive analysis, nor is it very deep or even nuanced.  So please take these comments in the spirit in which they are intended.  I will number each separate subject to make it easier to read.

1. The liberal arts are in something of a crisis, mainly, I think, due to both overall tuition prices and the perception that a graduate in a liberal arts field will not be able to find a good job.  There is  a grain of truth here, but it is worth noting that many times it isn’t the degree name but the skills and abilities obtained that prepare a person long-term for a good job.  Liberal arts, properly done, can do that well.
2. “Creative destruction” (a term coined by the economist Joseph Schumpeter) may well be imminent. New modes of delivery, new subjects, new ways to teach, etc. may undermine partially the traditional model of on-campus education.  I say partially because I don’t believe it will disappear, as there are many good reasons for matriculating physically at a location.  But even then, new ways of delivery on-campus may be in the offing—and that may be good, especially if it reduces cost and tuition.
3. Many Christian universities are abandoning the integration of a Christian worldview, and that is a shame. But that also opens opportunities for other schools to fill the void—IF they can seize the idea as it should be understood and boldly promote it and equip or hire faculty who are able to integrate well.  The key is to employ faculty who can integrate Scripture with their discipline.
4. The federal government has become all too intrusive in educational affairs. Perhaps that will decrease in time, but until then, institutions will have to play the game of accreditation.  By the way I don’t oppose accreditation per se, but I do lament the emphasis placed on input measures rather than output measures.  That approach forces most colleges into a rather more narrow range of innovation and entrepreneurship that would otherwise be the case.
5. The Office of Civil Rights I predict will overstep its bounds and colleges will then go back to the better standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” along with real due process (more students are suing colleges over that very issue). In truth, the issue of sexual assault, rape, etc.  should be under the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system, not colleges.
6. Core curriculum is a contentious issue, but it is imperative to address it. My prediction is that colleges that desire to be academically rigorous going forward will reduce the number of elective General Education courses and adopt a fairly narrowly-focused set of courses that will be designed to produce the truly educated graduate.
7. Tuition has become a top priority for parents and students today. But the good news is that many Christian colleges are trying diligently to be fiscally responsible, whereas public universities do not have as much of an incentive to do so.  In the long, run this can help the private schools—as long as state and Federal taxes keep “feeding the beast” of public education.
8. On the flip side, private colleges cannot offer as much as public ones—BUT on the other hand, how much more is actually worth offering? Let’s face it.  In today’s world, it is better to go somewhere that charges less (overall, after scholarships, grants, etc.), even though it may not be as prestigious, than to attend a prestigious school, incur $200,000 in debt and still not get a good job.
9. And it is always better in my opinion to attend a solid Christian college where real Biblical integration occurs, all other things being equal, than any public university or most private universities. Some families it is true can’t afford it, and I understand, but I am addressing the ideal.
10. Graduate programs are nice, but until a small Christian college can compete it is better to limit them, if for no other reason than that it is very costly to hire more faculty and reduce teaching loads to get more graduate programs and more capital-intensive for professional programs. But it is also usually less costly to start liberal arts graduate programs simply because the capital expenditures are much lower (while labor costs are either the same or a bit lower).
11. Vision and mission are absolutely critical for success. If one looks as the really successful Christian colleges they almost always have a very clear mission, they “pound” that mission everywhere, and they implement it “ruthlessly.”  Everyone knows what they stand for and trusts that is exactly what they will get.  I advocate a strong mission that incorporates both theological/doctrinal elements but also even a political/economic/cultural vision that is consistent—and that this all be trumpeted without apology.
12. It is good to see that Boards of Trustees are taking a more active interest in universities—sometimes it has been of necessity, but it is happening. Ultimately, they and university presidents tend to set the tone or the vision for the path of that institution.  But they must do it first, since they hire a president, and other administrative officers and thereby determine the course of the institution.  As an added note, this also makes it imperative to have a well-designed process (with checks and balances) for choosing or replacing board members who hold to that vision.

There are many other items I might have thought of, but didn’t.  Perhaps some of our readers will add a few.  These are only my musings as I get back into the academic life this Fall.  But whatever I have suggested, anything a Christian university does must be unified first and foremost by a commitment to glorify God and to ground all teaching in the Word of God—as my own institution does, thankfully.