The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out

Praise for The Innovative University "This superbly documented book is a must read for anyone who cares about America′s universities and colleges and the invaluable role they play in our contemporary society. Henry Eyring and Clayton Christensen remind us of higher education′s history and thoughtfully examine the critical strands of its DNA that require ′re–engineering′ to insure survival and good health for our richly diverse system. Perhaps the best feature of this volume is that it goes beyond analysis to offer what is possible through models that are scalable, transferable, and responsive to the needs of learning, discovery, and engagement."—Molly Corbett Broad, president, American Council on Education "The Innovative University offers fascinating new perspectives on very old questions: What defines a university′s identity? Are all universities cloned from the same ancestral stock? Are there still opportunities for diversity in American higher education, or is [a] single ideal to be approximated with greater or lesser fidelity? These questions resonate through the book′s narrative histories of an old university and a bold new one." —Harry Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University; author, Excellence Without a Soul "With changing demographics, new information technologies, and competition from for–profit enterprises challenging the hegemony of traditional colleges and universities, the discourse of crisis in American higher education abounds. In place of conventional nostrums that lead merely to incremental change, Henry Eyring and Clayton Christensen offer disruptive strategies that preserve what remains viable in the organizational genetic code while advancing differentiated models for institutional innovation. Yet further evidence that efforts to beat Berkeley and Harvard at their own game are futile." —Michael M. Crow, president, Arizona State University "There is little doubt that American higher education is at a crossroads. Accessibility and affordability issues abound. Learning outcomes are increasingly unclear. Technology surfaces as a disruptive influence. Financial support is declining precipitously. Christensen and Eyring step into this challenging setting with a comprehensive look at two ends of the higher education universe. The answers their contrasts provide to those of us looking for ways to move forward are both compelling and challenging. A must read for all who care about the future of colleges and universities." —Leonard A. Schlesinger, president, Babson College

Preface vii Acknowledgments xv Introduction: Ripe for Disruption—and Innovation xix Part One: Reframing the Higher Education Crisis Chapter 1 The Educational Innovator’s Dilemma: Threat of Danger, Reasons for Hope 3 Part Two: The Great American University Chapter 2 Puritan College 33 Chapter 3 Charles Eliot, Father of American Higher Education 46 Chapter 4 Pioneer Academy 72 Chapter 5 Revitalizing Harvard College 80 Chapter 6 Struggling College 98 Chapter 7 The Drive for Excellence 110 Chapter 8 Four–Year Aspirations in Rexburg 139 Chapter 9 Harvard’s Growing Power and Profile 148 Chapter 10 Staying Rooted 157 Part Three: Ripe for Disruption Chapter 11 The Weight of the DNA 171 Chapter 12 Even at Harvard 185 Chapter 13 Vulnerable Institutions 192 Chapter 14 Disruptive Competition 206 Part Four: A New Kind of University Chapter 15 A Unique University Design 223 Chapter 16 Getting Started 238 Chapter 17 Raising Quality 249 Chapter 18 Lowering Cost 276 Chapter 19 Serving More Students 301 Part Five: Genetic Reengineering Chapter 20 New Models 325 Chapter 21 Students and Subjects 347 Chapter 22 Scholarship 358 Chapter 23 New DNA 379 Chapter 24 Change and the Indispensable University 396 Notes 403 The Authors 445 Innosight Institute 447 Index 449

Clayton M. Christensen is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and the founder of Innosight Institute, a nonprofit think tank. He is the author of many books, including The Innovator′s Dilemma, and has applied his theory to K–12 education in Disrupting Class and to medicine in The Innovator′s Prescription. Henry J. Eyring serves as an administrator at Brigham Young University–Idaho. He is a former strategy consultant at Cambridge, Massachusetts–based Monitor Company.