In this episode of Trending in Education, we engage in a conversation with Brian Rosenberg, the author of the recently published book Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Rosenberg, who serves as the President Emeritus of Macalester College and a Visiting Professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, sheds light on the paradoxical nature of higher education’s reluctance to embrace change, despite often championing transformation.
Rosenberg highlights the harsh economic realities that many colleges are currently facing, including soaring tuition discount rates and declining student demographics. He argues that the sector is at a critical juncture of financial unsustainability and unacceptable outcomes, particularly for underrepresented students.
Key campus stakeholders such as administrators and tenured faculty members may lack the incentive to advocate for significant reforms that could jeopardize their positions. Conversely, marginalized groups like non-tenure track faculty and students often find themselves lacking influence, despite harboring a strong desire for change. Rosenberg proposes the implementation of small-scale experiments and the establishment of innovation centers as “green fields” within existing institutions.
Exploring innovative models like the African Leadership University, which prioritizes empowering self-directed learners, Rosenberg suggests that solutions may emerge from grassroots startups and contexts in the developing world, rather than elite U.S. institutions. He urges those invested in higher education to tackle the arduous task of implementing the necessary reforms to create a more equitable and financially sustainable future.
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Episode References:
Rosenberg, B. (2023). “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Harvard Education Press.