How To Save Higher Education

The majority of colleges and universities in America today are in crisis. Skyrocketing costs, high dropout rates, lack of actual learning, less available students, graduates who cannot get jobs at family sustaining salaries and crushing student loan debt are all symptoms of the problem. Americans are increasingly questioning the value and return on investment of a college degree. Further evidence of the problem is the growing number of colleges and universities that are closing or consolidating; a number that will increase unless fundamental change occurs. Simply put, the current system of higher education is no longer sustainable. However, in an increasingly competitive global economy, it is vital to national security and economic prosperity that the country produces a significant number of qualified college graduates. This book provides a proven model of how to fix the problems with higher education.

William Griscom has over 40 years of experience in higher
education. His education began with a two-year technical certificate
from a community college. He went on to earn his bachelors, two
master's degrees and a doctorate in education. His career started as
a public school teacher and upon completion of his doctorate he
became an assistant professor of technical education at a mid-size
public four-year college in 1976. He rose through the ranks to
become a tenured full professor and held administrative positions
progressing from assistant division chair to division chair
(equivalent of a dean at other colleges) and special assistant to the
president. In 1996 he was selected as the ninth president of
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, a state-owned two-year
postsecondary institution in Pennsylvania, where he served for 23
years, until his retirement in 2020. In addition to his higher
education background Dr. Griscom was industry trained and
certified to teach statistical process control, continuous
improvement, and team problem solving. He did extensive
consulting and training for such organizations as: Pratt & Whitney;
Fairmont Specialties, a subsidiary of DuPont; and the Social
Security Administration. During his tenure as president, with the
direct support of the Board of Trustees and his team, he
implemented the principles and concepts of performance based
continuous improvement, which resulted in a total transformation of
the institution into one of the best two-year colleges in America.
Dr. Griscom's experience in higher education covers a broad
spectrum of certificate and degree programs from two-year
community colleges to graduate level studies in a wide variety of
positions. This coupled with his interaction with hundreds of elected
officials and thousands of prospective students and their families,
over four decades, provides him with a unique perspective from
which to critique and provide recommendations on How to Save
Higher Education.