This speech examines the paradoxical issue of why, while higher education is making great strides and contributions, it is also in great peril, particularly concerning resource allocation and the more effective utilization of those resources. Included as evidence of higher education's contributions are greater access, greater outcomes in terms of…

Under the Master Plan of 1960, California was the first state to provide universal access to higher education for all high school graduates. Despite great success at all levels, higher education in California is now facing a crisis. National and state-wide recessions have reduced resources while potential enrollment is sharply increasing from…

An agenda for the future of higher education that is especially appropriate for state- and institutional-level action is presented. One initiative that is important to the future of the country that can also be promoted at the federal level is improvement of the research capacity of U.S. universities. The following views are presented: the most…