Change is gonna come. Yes it is.

The question higher education governing boards and institution leaders must address is how do we make the right changes, soon, in order to keep this country competitive for our children and grandchildren.

The latest survey by Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today) indicates the percentage of Americans who believe that many young people are unable to attend college because of cost has risen sharply from 47 percent in 2000 to 62 percent in 2007. According to their press release, the study also found that “75 percent think that it should be a very high priority to make more grants and tax breaks available to students. Although Americans have come to value higher education more than ever, fears about affordability and access leave many parents and students deeply troubled.”

This shift in public attitudes about tuition increases, higher cost, and perceived decreases in quality of higher education is more evidence that those of us in higher education must recognize that changes in our fiscal and academic models and structures are essential. But, we must also continue to advocate for public investment in higher education. We cannot meet the goal of increasing the number of college graduates if we don’t focus on student access to and success in our colleges and universities, alignment of K-12 with higher education, and the alignment of institution finance with mission, with the ultimate goal of graduating more students.

At our upcoming National Conference on Trusteeship, I will moderate a plenary panel, provocatively titled, “Overcoming Inertia: Can Higher Education Change?” This discussion, featuring some of the best thought leaders on change in higher education today, will address what board members and institutional leaders can do to lead our colleges and universities in dramatically new and radically different ways. Whether we like change or not, it’s gonna come. Yes it is.