The Remaking of the American University

Five powerful forces have the capacity to reshape higher education today. They are the rise of an information economy, changing demographics, new technologies, privatization of higher education, and a convergence of knowledge producing organizations. Among the possible consequences of these forces are a greatly expanded and more diverse set of higher education providers; the development of brick, click and brick-and-click colleges; a reduction in the number of physical campuses and the rise of international institutions; an increasing independence of faculty from campuses; and a growing customization of higher education and a shift in focus from teaching to learning.