The past and future of higher education
“Colleges and universities are one of America’s most ‘enduring public goods,’ President J. Larry Jameson said.
Nearly 400 years into its history in the United States, higher education is facing unique challenges, a panel of former university presidents and deans said during a recent discussion of its future through the lens of the past and the tumultuous present.
President J. Larry Jameson opened the conversation with perspectives on Penn’s heritage, dating back to 1740 under founder Benjamin Franklin. Higher education, he said, has been one of America’s most “enduring public goods,” adding that it “has been central to the social, cultural, economics, and technological development of our country and the world.”
Still, he added, solutions are not one-size-fits-all. “We recognize the present moment is also an inflection point,” he said. “One of the great strengths of U.S. higher education is the extraordinary diversity of post-secondary institutions and an equally diverse public need for education.”
The panel, “Higher Education in the United States: From Origins to Outlook,” was moderated by Graduate School of Education Dean Katharine Strunk as part of Penn’s Alumni Weekend events.
It featured Penn alumnus Mark Yudof, former president of the University of California and the University of Minnesota and former chancellor of the University of Texas; alumnus Elaine Maimon, former president of Governors State University and former chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage; John Silvanus Wilson Jr., former president of Morehouse College and executive director of Penn’s McGraw Center for Educational Leadership; and Nicholas Lemann, former dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Panel members shared a host of insights from their extensive backgrounds, such as the historic roots of unrest and the roles of historically Black colleges and universities.
Maimon said higher education would be well positioned if more universities showed the kind of joy she felt on Penn’s campus. “If we could take ‘Essence of Locust Walk’ and have some of the critics drink it, we’d be better off,” she said.
The forum, hosted by Perry World House, kicked off a series of events celebrating America’s 250th anniversary—“‘A Republic, If You Can Keep It’—Ben Franklin: A Celebration as America Turns 250”— that will convene experts to explore topics related to Franklin’s ideals of useful knowledge, scientific innovation, and health care and the common good. Additional details will follow on future events, which take place throughout the fall semester.