Sustaining Colleges and Universities Through Community

Small colleges are at risk of shutting their doors forever. These institutions face overwhelming costs, low enrollment, and increasing competition from online universities. Once a pillar of upward mobility and community, these institutions are losing their influence. This book suggests pivoting the mission and operations of these small colleges, which make up more than half of higher education, to weave deeper into communities in which they reside and make a significant and direct impact. Let’s do away with our single-minded focus on abstract research, change the role of the professor, and move to help our communities in a systematic way. This book focuses on how these institutions can take direct action to make a bigger impact on their areas of influence, draw more students, and breathe lifeblood into a withering middle America.