Rudenstine Says Higher Ed Is in Crisis

The surprise resignation of Yale University President Benno Schmidt is linked to "deep structural problems" throughout American higher education, Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine said last week.

Schmidt's resignation has been widely seen as representative of Yale's particular problems, or as a boost to the prospects of the national for-profit school system he will lead. But Rudenstine said the move was symptomatic of troubles, mainly financial, faced by universities and colleges all over the nation.

"Clearly, a lot of universities in the country are in serious trouble," Rudenstine said in an interview Thursday. "What we are seeing at Yale is part of a greater phenomenon that is in fact affecting the whole system."

Rudenstine Called Yale "a troubled institution," but said problems in New Haven must be seen in the context of "many, many troubled institutions."

The Harvard president said problems similar to those at Yale afflict Stanford and Columbia Universities, and said public institutions in New York, California and Illinois are "in very, very considerable trouble." He said Midwestern liberal arts colleges are also being hurt by the dearth of resources.

"All in all, there's less investment in higher education, and has been for some time. It's catching up," said Rudenstine.

Rudenstine said the universities are basically strong, but that solving their problems will take time. deep problems with the national economy and tosome extent with the international economy,"Rudenstine said. "I would say it's the mostserious passage for higher education, from thepoint of view of deep structural problems, sincethe second World War, since the Depression."

Rudenstine received an honorary Doctor of Lawdegree at Yale's commencement May 25. Earlier thatday, Schmidt told the Yale Corporation, whichgoverns the University, of his decision to stepdown.

But the Harvard president said he went throughthe commencement ceremonies without any knowledgeof Schmidt's decision.

"The next day ... I picked up the New YorkTimes and read that the person who gave me mydegree the day before was no longer going to bethe president of Yale," Rudenstine said. "That wasthe first I heard about it.

Rudenstine received an honorary Doctor of Lawdegree at Yale's commencement May 25. Earlier thatday, Schmidt told the Yale Corporation, whichgoverns the University, of his decision to stepdown.

But the Harvard president said he went throughthe commencement ceremonies without any knowledgeof Schmidt's decision.

"The next day ... I picked up the New YorkTimes and read that the person who gave me mydegree the day before was no longer going to bethe president of Yale," Rudenstine said. "That wasthe first I heard about it.