Structural University Challenges & Workforce Readiness

Meredith Woo explores the evolving roles and challenges of private colleges — particularly small liberal arts institutions — within the broader landscape of American higher education. She reflects on the diversity of institutional missions and how resource disparities between public and private universities shape their capacity to serve students and communities. Woo underscores that while publics often lament reduced state funding, they still benefit from significant state support that privates do not receive. As external pressures intensify, she argues that institutions—public and private alike—must shift from insular thinking to prioritizing learners and societal needs.