The Insidious Threat to Higher Education

3/25/24

On Saturday March 23, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon hosted by Purdue University in New York, in which Purdue’s President, Dr. Mung Chiang, addressed alumni and supporters. In his speech, he reported on a host of impressive accomplishments and initiatives — past and present — that the university has undertaken. While there were many accomplishments to be proud of, the one that struck me as being the most impressive and revelatory was the fact that Purdue has held tuition costs constant for the last 13 years — an amazing accomplishment given that the rising cost of higher education in the US has outpaced more broadly based inflation measures by a considerable amount for years.

I have always valued the education that I got at Purdue, but I came away from that luncheon with an enhanced appreciation for the vision that Dr. Mung articulated: committing Purdue to offer a high-quality education that’s affordable and accessible. Dr. Chiang cited this pricing decision as being central to Purdue’s mission and one that he challenged other college administrators to emulate. Hear, hear. The cost issue aside, since that luncheon, I’ve learned that the prospect of this intention of continuing to maintain high academic standards is under threat. Affordability in connection with a compromised education product is no bargain.