As president of Miami University of Ohio from 1996 until 2006, James C. Garland redefined the public institution as a "semi-private" university by implementing the same tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students. Students from Ohio with need received large scholarships--but those who could afford to pay more did so. The reform, which Garland estimates could work only for a handful of small, highly selective public institutions, succeeded in growing enrollments and making the university more affordable to middle-income students--a Miami-specific solution for Miami. Since retiring, Garland has turned his attention to a reform plan that he believes is scalable for publicly funded higher education as a whole. In this article, he introduces his provocative proposal, which is fully explored in his new book, "Saving Alma Mater: A Rescue Plan for America's Public Universities."