IS THE UNIVERSITY IN CRISIS?

The article discusses the need for serious internal debate and social science research into the structural changes affecting higher learning institutions in the United States. Jennifer Washburn's book "University, Inc." discusses corruption of the values of many universities due to efforts to conform to standards created by corporate capitalism since the 1970s and the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980, which was designed to encourage more patenting of products funded by federally financed academic research. Because of the capitalist approach of many universities, tuition costs have risen in a way that prohibits economically disadvantaged individuals from receiving higher education.