Ferment and Change: Higher Education in 2015.

This article attempts to explore the state and nature of higher education in the year 2015 in the United States. Five trends, if they encounter little friction or resistance, will radically transform higher education in the coming years. Those five trends are not the only forces pressuring colleges. But unlike some of the others--such as the impact of technology on teaching and research--they are not yet receiving ample attention. And, taken together, they pose an enormous challenge that, if neglected, will mean serious trouble for higher education and the United States. Conversely, the more effectively colleges respond to such trends, the better off they and our nation will be. Some of these trends are: changing life cycles as the U.S.' population ages; growing vulnerability of the U.S. in science and technology; and the need to understand other cultures and languages.