President Bacow shares his vision for the future of higher ed
On one of his first trips as president of Harvard, Larry Bacow traveled to Washington, D.C., in July 2018, and there signaled that he would be a steadfast advocate for higher education. On Thursday, Bacow was back in the nation’s capital, reaffirming his support for colleges and universities and his belief that they can help change the world, despite fears that Americans are increasingly questioning the value of a college degree. During a panel discussion with higher education experts co-sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution, Bacow said he was optimistic that higher education can respond and adapt to pressures and changing priorities of the 21st century and continue to offer students a critical pathway to success. “The death of American higher education as we know it has been grossly overpredicted, and consistently so,” said Bacow. “Historically, the nation’s colleges and universities have enabled the American Dream, and it’s important...