Page 121 - Crisis in Higher Education

Understanding the Root Causes • 93

excessive spending on administration. And declining state support
results in larger tuition increases and more emphasis on fees to gener-
ate revenue.

Table 4.3 shows there are no simple one-to-one relationships between a
cause and a problem, so it is impossible to make one change and resolve
one problem. Every problem has multiple root causes, and every root cause
impacts more than one problem. For example, to improve access, it is criti-
cal to address all of the root causes that have contributed to higher costs for
tuition, fees, and books (root causes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), as well as resolve misal-
locating resources (root cause 1) and expanding student expectations (root
cause 7). In addition, improving access means addressing a lack of student
preparation (root cause 9), which is a significant problem for many students.
Looking forward, Chapter 5 contains an overview of the solution, and
the remainder of the book provides the details for the solution. The pro-
posed solution has multiple elements, and each element impacts more than
one root cause. For example, redesigning and streamlining the curriculum
can reduce the number of credit hours students must take, which lowers
tuition, and changes the requirements for books and learning materials,
which also lowers costs. Curriculum redesign can also make faculty more
productive and better prepare students for the job market.
These complexities lead to three conclusions about the solution. It must
be comprehensive, integrated, and implemented as a whole.

1. Comprehensive: The underlying problems and root causes are many
so the solution must be based on careful analysis and broadminded
thought. It is not enough to address questions about who is the cus-
tomer, tackle administrative costs, or stabilize and increase eroding
standards. The solution should address all of these issues; it must be
multidimensional.
2. Integrated: Because there are complex relationships among the prob-
lems and among the root causes and between problems and root
causes, the solution must be coherent and consistent.
3. Implemented as one package: Creating a comprehensive and inte-
grated solution to higher education’s problems requires change
on the part of many participants. In most cases, it also requires
sacrifices. Getting people onboard for a solution means that all
the parties understand what they are contributing, what others are
contributing, and how the system will be better.