Page 30 - Crisis in Higher Education

The Higher Education Conundrum • 5

final decision makers. Faculty members are the principle employees,
and there are different types with vastly different compensation and
responsibilities.

1.1.1 Types of Institutions
Some entities are called universities, others are called colleges, and still
others are called community and technical colleges. There are two-year
associate, four-year bachelor’s, and graduate degrees.

1. University: Can be a public or private entity that offers four-year
bachelor’s degrees in multiple fields of study. These fields are typi-
cally organized as colleges within the university (sometimes called
schools) such as engineering, business, and education. Universities
usually offer graduate degrees and engage in research as part of their
mission. Most universities, both public and private, are not-for-profit
entities, but some operate on a for-profit basis. These universities
build cost structures and set pricing policies to generate a surplus of
cash that represents a profit, which is returned to shareholders. A few
universities offer two-year associate degrees.
2. College: As time passes, this designation is becoming less com-
mon. In the nineteenth century, higher education was dominated
by liberal arts colleges that offered a “gentleman’s” education in
classical literature, art, economic, language, and similar subjects.
Today, these institutions serve as many or more women than men.
They still offer an excellent liberal arts education, but many have
succumb to the demand for degrees in subjects such as business
and nursing that lead more directly to jobs. These institutions are
usually smaller than universities, especially state-supported public
universities. In some cases, these institutions have changed their
designation from college to university in order to reflect their grow-
ing diversity of programs.
3. Land grant colleges and universities: The land grant system began in
1862 as a result of the Morrill Act that provided public lands that
could be sold or used to establish institutions of higher learning,
which focused on agriculture and the mechanical arts. This was a
response to the emerging Industrial Revolution and was complemen-
tary to liberal arts colleges. Although their origins may be different,
many of these universities are no longer easily recognizable as land