A Crisis of Academic Leadership?: Our Public Purpose
Preview:
McMahon’s speech was rooted in nostalgic longing for a past that never was and certainly does not exist today. But in framing higher education as essentially a private good intended to cultivate elites — one that is simultaneously in desperate need of government intervention and bloated by too much taxpayer investment — the secretary’s remarks throw into stark relief the leadership challenge before us today.
Originally published: September 12, 2025
Author: Paul C. Pribbenow
Position: President
Institution: Augsburg University
Published by: The Chronicle of Higher Ed