Chapter 1
College in the 21st Century

The century is dawning...

in higher education as Charles Dickens's best of times/worst of times. Optimists see more Americans than ever before attending college. Critics, on the other hand, note that many never finish their college studies, or graduate only to find themselves underprepared for professional, personal, and community life in a rapidly changing world.

As increasing numbers of people seek collegiate education, the country needs to ensure them not simply access to college, but an education of real and lasting value. The unprecedented expansion of college enrollments creates an extraordinary opportunity to prepare the informed citizens and competent employees needed for the new knowledge-based society. Yet there is a very real danger that the United States will squander this opportunity, although the consequences of failure are severe. Each individual dropped by the wayside represents a loss—personal, economic, social, and intellectual. When many are dropped, the nation itself is impoverished. Universal readiness for and success in obtaining a college education of high quality are democratic values, moral imperatives, and economic necessities. The country deserves no less.