Other Books By This Author

Higher education has both supporters and detractors, although not in equal numbers. Some would have us believe that our higher education enterprise is on the brink of disaster, that it’s falling apart at the seams. Some go so far as to call the system broken beyond repair, suggesting that it be rebuilt from the ground up. Can it be this bad? Drawing on his long experience in higher ed administration, the author examines the sea change that’s affected nearly every corner of the higher learning landscape. These corners include the high-and-rising costs of tuition, the crushing levels of student debt, the shamefully low graduation rates in too many schools, the growing “million-dollar clubs” whose members include university presidents and football and basketball coaches, the inadequacies of accreditation, and the growing influence of partisan politics in the conduct of our public universities. That’s for starters. With an insider’s perspective, the author paints a picture that is up-front and honest, laying bare the depth and extent of specific problems confronting that crucial engine of our economy – higher education. In each case, he spells out what needs a tune-up and what needs something closer to an overhaul. Of course, he offers specific proposals for ‘fixing’ those problems. They’re likely to be controversial, but the author hopes they spark a debate that ultimately leads to productive solutions.

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At one time or another I entertained my prospects as a farmer, medical missionary, corporate executive, high school teacher, politician, and lawyer. The fact that I ended up pursuing none of these is owing to some combination of happenstance, thoughtful consideration, and guidance from several wise mentors I’m privileged to have known in my life. Without them, and without the good sense that my wife, Charla, added to the mix, I may well have made some seriously wrong turns in the course of my travels!

Friends in high school and, later, friends and partners for life, Charla and I have traveled tens of thousands of miles together, literally and figuratively. Our adventures together make up an important part of the story I’ve told between these covers, one that includes our three bright and talented children. And yes, the grandkids too!

How I came to pursue a career in higher education administration is another part of the story – one that in all ways motivated the title for this memoir. As enriching and energizing as I found that career, I ended up leaving it 30 years later for the rollercoaster experience of entrepreneurship. And what a ride that was.

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