America’s system of higher education has long been thought of as comprising some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. The common perception is that colleges and universities in the United States are made of ivory towers with hallowed halls. However, in Professor X’s book, In the Basement of the Ivory Tower, he contends that the reality of the situation is starkly different. Concealing his true identity, he provides a first-person account of America’s academic peril from his experiences working as an adjunct professor at two different institutions: one a small private college, and the other a local community college. Forced into teaching due to financial duress from his mortgage, Professor X was met with great frustration as he noted the massive debt students carried after graduation, and the colleges’ focus on capitalism and finances over quality of life and education for their students. Eventually, this into-the-fire job led Professor X to personal enlightenment and, ultimately, salvation. How bad are America’s colleges and universities? Is academia as we know it doomed? What can we learn from Professor X’s story?
Guest:
Professor X, author of In the Basement of the Ivory Tower