The Political, Cultural, and Economic Assault on Higher Education

Abstract

This essay reviews nine books as part of the most recent wave of publications treating the “crisis” in higher education. It identifies three prominent strands of argument emerging from scholarly authors. The first set is premised on an acceptance of the crisis more or less at face value, adopting what we have termed a discourse of administrative realism in reshaping the future of higher education. The other sets offer critical readings: one subjects the crisis to a sustained economic and institutional critique; the other focuses on higher education as a battlefront in the broader “culture wars.” Following our review, we offer conclusions meant to spark conversation about how communication, as a discipline, might contribute to vital discourse about the future of higher education.