The title of Bob Dylan’s 1963 hit song, The Times They are A-Changin, is most appropriate as a
description of the state of American higher education in the early part of the 21st century. Besieged by
mega-forces including a severe economic recession, globalization, increased government oversight,
enrollment surges, decreases in public funding, calls for greater accountability, and tectonic shifts in the
role of public, non-profit, and for profit institutions, American higher education is facing a significant
crisis. Many of these forces are imposing serious stress on the financial stability and wherewithal of
colleges and universities, mandating changes in their operation and administration.