On the Public Good

“But the problem college advocates face as they try to shift the conversation to the public good is that there is little agreement on the means and measures to show those benefits. In contrast, state and federal governments have established several ways to link wages to college degrees and, in some cases, have criticized majors they perceive as having little economic value. The associations at the meeting have begun various efforts to change how college success is measured. In particular, the land-grant-university group has started the Post-Collegiate Outcomes Initiative to examine both the public and the personal economic and social capital that is generated by higher education. In an era of increased accountability, higher education needs to include both perspectives, Jonathan R. Alger, president of James Madison University, told attendees. ‘Our philosophy majors do a lot with the skill sets we give them,’ he said. ‘We need to tell that story.’”

"The Challenge of Restoring the ‘Public’ to ‘Public Higher Education,'" The Chronicle of Higher Education -  http://bit.ly/1RT5OXw