Change Is Gonna Come¹

Just about a decade ago I argued,

Yet I was by no means the first to make such a point. For example, in 2005, Geoff Layer identified two broad notions of the role of higher education (HE). One, a kind of ‘academic finishing school’ for those prepared for such an experience; the other being to provide opportunities for a diverse range of people to gain higher-level qualifications. The first, he wrote,

And in between, others have made similar and often more specific calls for institutional change. For example, in 2007, Thomas and Jones argued that ‘achieving more diverse patterns of participation’ will require the development of ‘more progressive and responsive forms of HE’ (Thomas & Jones, 2007).