Part III
Steven H. Mintz
Although American colleges and universities receive much more public and private support than their foreign counterparts, enrol a higher proportion of college-age population and attract many more international students, American higher education is beset by pressing challenges, such as affordability, student debt, low levels of degree attainment, high levels of inequality, and questionable student learning and post-graduation employment outcomes. These problems have prompted widespread calls for innovation in curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, delivery modalities, and credentialing. This essay will look at the distinctiveness of American higher education; how the post-secondary landscape is shifting; the challenges and forces that are driving calls for innovation; barriers to innovation; and the kinds of innovation that are most likely to gain traction in years to come.