The Future of Higher Education: Rhetoric, Reality, and the Risks of the Market, Frank Newman, Lara Couturier, Jamie Scurry, Jossey-Bass, 2004
Reviewed by Judith V. Boettcher, The University of Florida

This book is a treasure for policy makers and higher education leaders looking for a way make sense of the complex issues facing higher education in the early 21^st century, and in particular, searching for a way to respond to the development of the higher education marketplace. The authors provide a framework for policy making grounded in the compact between higher education and society. Often the work in solving problems is half-done if we can only get to the right questions. The authors not only frame the key questions, but also provide recommended directions and strategies for society's and higher education's response to those questions.

What are the critical questions facing higher education institutions today? The authors suggest the two critical questions are: What does the public need from higher education? And what interventions by government are needed to make the competitive market work effectively? This book, the result of a three-year study from The Futures Project: Policy for Higher Education in a Changing World provides a perspective from which to answer those questions. It analyzes the forces impacting the relationship between society and higher education, places the evolving market forces into national and global contexts, and suggests policies and strategies for the future.

In building the framework, the authors capture the diverse nature of the state of higher education and then craft arguments for effective public policies and strategies. While economists generally agree that the competitive landscape in higher education is here to stay, it is rare to find in-depth analysis grounded in the greater good of democracy combined with recommended policies for shaping an effective market environment for educational institutions. The authors acknowledge the inevitability of the market environment for higher education, but argue thoughtfully about how the market might be shaped by policy makers, rather than allowed to drift, driven by competition for students, prestige, and funding.

Frank Newman, the lead author, was president of the Education Commission of the States for 14 years and president of the University of Rhode Island from 1974 to 1983. He authored a similar higher education report in 1971, now often simply referred to as the "Newman Commission Report." This report envisioned the current explosion of demand for higher education in the second half of the 20^th century; this report also predicted/recommended the broad differentiation of missions of higher education institutions that have been critical in meeting the expanded mission of higher education.

A key element of this current analysis of higher education by Newman and his coauthors is the description of "mission creep" in higher education.  From a focus on educating a relatively small percentage of the population, society's expectations of higher education have grown to broad societal and political missions. Yet, the one message that might be expected—the idea of retreating from any of the missions—is not recommended. Rather, the authors focus on how, given the expansion of societal needs, these missions can best be accomplished.

What are the broader missions discussed in this report? Three (of seven) of the missions address the quality of learning in society: the need for educated, skilled people; the need for not only broad access to higher education, but successful attainment of knowledge and skills; and the need for higher education to support elementary and secondary education institutions. Another mission restates the vital role that university research plays in our economy and overall knowledge-building. A fifth focuses on accountability to society, ensuring efficiency and productivity in serving society's needs.

The report promotes two additional missions that support the continuing success of Jeffersonian democracy: the need to prepare and support a populace that actively participates in the civic and social life of a community; and to serve as a place for open debate of key issues, a place for safe "truth-telling." Some of the expanded missions of higher education might be capably served by institutions within a for-profit sector; however, no for-profit institutions have these last two "democratic" missions currently as part of their "mission package" — or are they likely to.

A great national and global community needs institutions to address all these various missions, including the democratic ones and underscores the need for a "thoughtful market approach to higher education."

What are the solutions to our many needs? Do Newman, Couturier, Scurry provide a vision, a dream where this all comes together. Not quite. This Future book calls for joint visioning and an analysis of how the inevitable "marketing" of higher education can support the many needs of society in the information age. However, Future is more than a "crisis" document; it suggests some of the actions that policy makers and higher education leaders might take to ensure that higher education meets society's needs. Many of these actions are positive and specific, as in the need to take responsibility for student learning — jointly with the student; policies that support more autonomous, entrepreneurial and accountable institutions; and the likely need for continued growth of mission differentiation among the institutions.

But these authors argue that higher education in the US is in danger of losing its way, given the competition for prestige and athletics, rather than learning outcomes.

The next step in the vision planning encouraged by this book will be for policy makers to envision a future when virtually all members of society need different types of education and learning for the many roles of a complex future society. Questions that the authors lay the groundwork for, but do not ask are the following: How do we afford lifelong education for all? What might a useful expanded role for for-profits be? What about continued future differentiation of the entire range of educational needs? Do we need another whole category of institutions that focus on another spectrum of the population? Do we need to restructure the whole of secondary education?

In sum, the message of this book is to approach our growing educational needs thoughtfully, with a view to the future and with the need to  "take hold" of the opportunities for the good of all.