We’re Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education

We’re Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education by Richard P. Keeling and Richard H. Hersh

Colleges should focus on improving learning outcomes, rather than "all that other stuff." To do that, they need institutional change. All faculty should teach, and they should be provided appropriate training to do it well. Assessments should be valuable data that could be acted upon. A standard curriculum should encourage broad-based development of intellectual skills, rather than just be tedious "generals." Advising should be an important part of education. Students also need "immersive" education opportunities.

These plans all seem nice, but the authors seem to be too buried in academia. In numerous occasions, in this short book, they criticise the possibility of three year degrees. What benefit does four years give over three? What are students trying to learn? The plan seems to be great for those going to undergrad on the way to a doctorate. But what about others? College has become a "checkmark" item to get a good job. However, these jobs rarely use the knowledge gained in college. What are the skills and thought patterns that would be useful for future work? What type of intellectual learning would be useful? Do we spend more time teaching people how to learn rather than boring them? The authors identify an important problem, but their solution is off the mark.