Productivity in Postsecondary Education: A New Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual structure for examining college and university productivity and to propose an explanation for why productivity—as seen by those who pay for higher education—has declined. The authors examine public criticism of higher education and the accompanying loss of public trust. They argue that much of the problem results from the shift of faculty effort toward research and professional activity and away from undergraduate teaching—a phenomenon dubbed the academic ratchet.