Public higher education in the United States is being challenged, as never before, by numerous conditions that need to be addressed if the public college and university systems are to survive and fulfill their responsibilities to the American public. Student enrollment at these institutions has been on a significant downward trend for a full decade. There has been a discernible decline in the esteem with which the American public holds higher education. There are numerous dimensions to this phenomenon. In this brief article, we focus on only three dimensions of the problem: escalating college costs; mounting student debt; and the failures of boards of trustees to act as fiduciaries representing the interests of students, parents, and citizens. Once we address these issues broadly, we offer feasible solutions that could improve the circumstances surrounding public higher education and enable it to chart a new course.

中文翻译：

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公立高等教育的危机：新视角

美国公立高等教育正面临前所未有的挑战，如果公立大学和大学系统要生存并履行其对美国公众的责任，就需要应对许多条件。这些机构的学生入学率在过去整整十年中一直呈显着下降趋势。美国公众对高等教育的尊重程度明显下降。这种现象有很多方面。在这篇简短的文章中，我们仅关注问题的三个方面：不断上升的大学费用；不断增加的学生债务；以及董事会的失败，不能代表学生，父母和公民的利益。一旦我们广泛地解决了这些问题，