Paul Cantor: The Crisis in Higher Education—And Opportunities for Learning Online

On the decline of universities, and whether new technologies can aid liberal education. For more conversations, visit

Chapter 1 (00:15 - 30:26): The Crisis in Higher Education

Chapter 2 (30:26 - 1:09:57): Technology to the Rescue?

How should we grade American universities on their performance in educating young people? What role do universities play in American life today? How might we think about the opportunities for education beyond the traditional on-campus model? In this Conversation, the University of Virginia’s Paul Cantor argues that universities often are failing in their most critical mission. There are, Cantor argues, a whole host of ideological, economic, and political factors that contribute to this decline, but he highlights a neglected one: bureaucratic centralization. According to Cantor, the efforts of universities to place administrators in charge of key decisions has weakened university departments—and taken authority from faculty members, who often have been a check on efforts to undermine liberal education. In light of the decline of elite institutions, particularly in the domain of liberal arts, Cantor and Kristol also consider how online technologies and non-university educational programs can further the goal of genuine liberal education, outside the institutional world of higher ed. One such encouraging example is Cantor’s own “Shakespeare and Politics” website in the FCG’s Great Thinkers series.