Education without Compromise: From Chaos to Coherence in Higher Education

Undergraduate programmes in colleges and universities are confused tangles of unrelated and specialized electives. Courses aimed at career preparation far outnumber those emphasizing intellectual development. As a result, our graduates are not prepared to enter a workplace where ability to change and flexibility to adapt are facts of life, nor can they become fully contributing members of a rapidly changing society. Drawing on his experience as a professor, chief academic officer, and association leader, Schaefer exposes the problems that cut across all of academia, such as student consumerism, overspecialization of disciplines, and a system that rewards esoteric publishing over good teaching. He suggests specific changes that must take place if the education of the young is to be really effective.