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  • S.W.O.T Analysis of 'Crisis On Campus'

    By Joshua Kim November 1, 2010 9:15 pm EDT

    Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming Our Colleges and Universities, by Mark C. Taylor

    STRENGTHS:

    Concise: 221 small pages with big font.

    Provocative: Big ideas and insightful critiques of the higher ed labor market, curriculum, organizational structure etc.

    Passionate: Taylor is passionate about teaching and learning, and believes that institutions of higher learning must evolve and reform to continue to thrive.

    WEAKNESSES:

    Solutions: Proposed solutions, beyond dismantling tenure (for the non-tenured) do not address fundamental issues of cost and access.

    Ahistorical: The current state of higher ed is not placed within an historical context, making analysis of issues and problems less informative.

    Economics: The economic aspects of higher ed are not analyzed. Chapter on tuition focusses on "sticker" price, not accounting for true costs of tuition.

    OPPORTUNITIES:

    Book Club: Great book to a campus book club - will get lots of discussion.

    Speaker: I bet Taylor would make a great speaker on campus.

    Readable: Book is short and an easy read - good chance that people will read for a discussion.

    THREATS:

    Elite Bias: Taylor seems to be writing primarily for institutions similar to where he has taught (Williams, Columbia) - failing to address the state of community colleges and other Institutions

    For-Profits Excluded: Limited discussion of the role of for-profits in the educational landscape.

    Limited Examples: 'Crisis on Campus' would have benefited from more examples of innovative institutions, programs, and leaders in higher education.

    Have any of your read 'Crisis on Campus'? Plan to read? Thoughts?

    What are you reading?

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Comments on S.W.O.T Analysis of 'Crisis On Campus'

  • Posted by sibyl on November 2, 2010 at 5:45pm EDT
  • I don't plan to read Mark Taylor's book; based on his NYT columns, my impression is that he is writing about marginalized issues in a not very rigorous way, an impression that is confirmed by your review.

    I am currently reading "On The Grid" and "Where Good Ideas Come From," so when it comes to reading I tend to be a follower of yours rather than a leader. But I did recently read "Higher Education?" by Hacker and Dreifus, and I don't think you've blogged about it. That's worth reading and talking about: brief, comprehensive, and even-handed.

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