In defense of the university
American universities are not having their best moment, to say the least. College enrollment is in free fall. Last year, a Wall Street Journal survey found that nearly 60% of Americans are skeptical of the value of a four-year degree — a 16-point swing from a decade prior. Perceived inadequacy in responding to antisemitism led to University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill stepping down; Harvard president Claudine Gay was also forced to resign (but not before providing the world a timely reminder of what constitutes plagiarism). All of this occurred mere months after a Supreme Court ruling overturned race-conscious admissions and exposed many of the structural flaws embedded in the college admissions system.