Reflections on the Public Purposes of Higher Education

Higher education in this country has always been expected to serve the public good. Sometimes, the emphasis is on preparing educated citizens or practitioners in especially critical fields. At other times, the discussion is about how public service can deepen and enrich learning and prepare students to lead purposeful, responsible and creative lives. Sometimes, the focus is on institutions themselves as major intellectual and cultural assets and how those resources can be tapped to build healthy communities.