Abstract

I believe the dominant narratives of societies change when they encounter new and compelling alternatives. My current book project, Capitalizing on College, pulls back the curtain on student enrollment and institutional survival in higher education. Rooted in the candid accounts of over 150 college and university leaders, it tells the story of how neoliberal policies incentivize institutions to financially sustain themselves by pursuing new growth strategies that view “students as resources.” From the perspectives of the leaders themselves, the book chronicles the challenges they face in protecting missions of access and affordability in the highly competitive market environment of higher education.