Part V

 

The book concludes with a vision of a unified future in Part V, “A New Higher Education Rooted in Tradition and Supported by Modern Digital Technologies.” Returning to their core appreciation for diversity in institution types, the authors encourage readers to recognize the range of universities in the U.S.—including elite and research universities, land-grant schools, religious colleges, nonprofits, for-profits (online and brick-and-mortar), and others—and they encourage those institutions to respect and learn from each other. Rejecting the idea of a specific “one-size-fits-all” core curriculum, the authors instead propose four major competencies they believe each college student should possess upon graduation: critical thinking, ethical reasoning, aesthetic appreciation, and STEM literacy.