1. Writing from the wreckage: Austerity and the public university

Abstract

This chapter describes the context and effects of austerity in higher education, especially as they constrict and undermine the mission and practices of “public” institutions. The challenges are outlined inhere in sustaining public infrastructure for learning in a world that is hell-bent on privatizing itself, and link privatization trends to disturbing global political trends toward populism, authoritarianism, and fascism. Understanding the economic and sociopolitical pressures facing colleges and universities that wish to nurture the public good is imperative to cultivate a future where learning serves humanity before markets.