Spectrum

Higher education still has value either in preparing someone for a career or enhancing his/her worldview through general studies. So says Dr. Robert Glidden, President Emeritus at Ohio University and California Polytechnic State University. He has had a career of over four decades in higher education administration. Despite the rising costs of a university education, Dr. Glidden feels that a college education pays off for the student both through enhanced career opportunities and broader knowledge of the world. He argues that a good “liberal arts education” is still valued in our society. Dr. Glidden concedes that the costs of higher education have escalated at an alarming rate and he is concerned about the amount of debt that most students have upon graduation. However, he cautions that online and electronic education courses and degrees do not necessarily save money for colleges and universities. He is a strong believer in expanding ways to deliver higher education to a broader swath of the population but