Chapter 1: Community-Focused Experiential Learning: Creating Conditions for Fostering Social Responsibility

In recent years, institutions of higher education have faced intense public scrutiny, and some measure of skepticism, regarding the value of a college degree. This has been happening at a time when shrinking public expenditures, high student loan debt, lingering scandals around admission practices, and similar issues are on many minds. The rising cost of college and the intense attention to the return on investment of a degree have caused many institutions to succumb to mission creep or to concentrate excessively on their bottom line. To make matters worse, the current coronavirus pandemic has increased the financial pressures on colleges and universities.