Within “The Pathbreaking, Fractionalized, Uncertain World of Knowledge,” Stanley Katz explains how the reputation of the university system has changed over the last half-century. Americans expect universities to provide a useful education, in hopes of preserving and creating knowledge. When the explosion of scientific discovery took place, producing knowledge became the most important task for academic work. This ambitious mindset has led to the growth of research universities and the financial resources to support the ongoing research. The public views research universities as nothing more than greedy businesses filled with professors more interested in their own research than guiding their students. In the end, the sudden burst of intellectual discovery came with a price. As the pursuit of new knowledge continued, fields of study further split into finer, more specialized disciplines. This repercussion has become a key factor on how difficult it is for today’s students to relate their education to professional work. We should reevaluate what universities are offering our students. With the concern for our future in the hands of today’s students, I agree with Stanley Katz, past president of the American Council of Learned Societies, on the grounds that higher education needs to be reworked for the good of mankind. Take big businesses for example. Costs for higher education continue to grow annually. Research universities are some of the biggest players in this economic
