When you think about higher education in our society, you might think about a number of different issues and concerns. For example:

The Lego Professor by Me2 on Flickr / CC BY-NC-SA

​What does it mean to educate people beyond the high school level at a higher level? What does it mean for individuals and what does it mean for society?

Where is the proper place for higher education, particularly with the advent of new communication technologies?

How is our thinking about the purpose of higher education changing?

As we move further into the 21st century, what should be the primary and secondary purposes of higher education? Think about how these purposes might challenge our assumptions, for instance, about creating knowledge and learning in an environment that no longer uses books to educate.

These are some of the issues that this discussion guide explores, along with six policy possibilities as starting points for your own discussion and exploration.