Purdue-Kaplan: The Future of Higher Ed?



The recent acquisition of Kaplan by Purdue University is more than a one-off transaction orchestrated by a former businessman-politician turned university president. It is also more than a sign of the times, as has been suggested. It is a look at the future of higher education. The synergies of this merger will create templates for a new, sustainable business model for American higher education. It will combine the efficiency of a for-profit model with the comprehensive academic paradigm of traditional not-for-profit models. This not thinking out of the box. It is ACTING out of the box. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Purging the Past by Punishing the Present

The following item appeared recently under Quick Hits in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Daily Briefing: Descendants of slaves are  calling for restitution  from Georgetown University based on the profits it made from a sale of 272 slaves in 1838. Apparently the university has apologized, is determining how best to make amends, and is engaging in a long-term dialogue with descendants of slaves who demand restitution.   This entire situation is a primary example of the BS that is making a mockery of higher education in America.   Christian Smith opened the can of bullshit in his piece entitled “Higher Education is Drowning in BS,” published on January 9 in CHE.   It is a scathingly accurate introduction to the silliness that pervades the higher education community, silliness that undercuts the very credibility of higher education and obviates its ability to address major societal concerns.   I have my own list of gripes, some of which appear ...
Read more

Adult Students, Non-Traditional Students, Post-Traditional Students, and Other Redundancies

Breaking news:   There is an enormous population of underserved adult students.   They are older than high school graduates; they work, have families and have limited access to higher education opportunities. Higher education needs to take action! Oh, wait, you already knew that?    Apparently so does everyone else except higher education. Higher education insiders (read: faculty, administration, researchers, and the education media) keep making this discovery almost daily.   Well, to be fair, they are making different discoveries.   One study reveals the plight of “adult students.”   Another provides a profile of “non-traditional” students.   Yet another gives us the details of “post-traditional” students (my favorite).   As a former insider, I am both embarrassed and insulted. In a recent piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Christian Smith cites a variety of examples of BS in higher education.   Among the more prominen...
Read more

The Basics: Where Are We and How Did We Get Here?

Yogi Berra is quoted as having said,   “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”   That’s what this blog is all about.   It is a blend of observations, commentary, and opinion gained over forty years of experience in higher education that will provide perspectives on where higher education is today, where it is going, and how it will get to wherever it is that it is going.   A recent survey conducted by Washington-based think tank New America contends that Americans see value in higher education, but may not be happy with it. The Introduction to the report puts it succinctly: “Americans believe in the tremendous potential of higher education—but they also feel that higher education is falling short of that promise.   New America’s inaugural survey reveals a stark expectations gap between what higher education could-- and should—be and where higher education currently is.”   OK, we know where we are and we don’t li...
Read more