How the recession could help higher ed

However crazy it might sound,that was a serious point of conversation at a national conference last week hosted by the Network for Academic Renewal , a group of “people, programs and institutions working for educational reform.”

In the face of 663,000 more jobs lost across the country in March, scholars say this could be a time for colleges and universities to return to their core values and mission  — things many say institutions have sacrificed as they’ve pursued status, over-ambitious building projects and reputations.

Several scholars also spoke of a need to renew faculty reputation as one of a profession, which they say would also require a renewed definition of what the professionalism would actually require.

Other points of interest included: