Can Higher Education Recapture the Elusive American Dream?

AAC&U’s 2018 Annual Meeting will address higher education’s role in the American Dream in the face of a narrative arguing that the two have become disconnected. On a societal level, the American Dream has long been associated with improvement in quality of life from generation to generation. But American dreams are also unique, personal, and hopeful—affected by each individual’s socioeconomic class or cultural background; educational, professional, and personal aspirations; immigration status or race. The American Dream may also reflect the desire for a safer home or safer workplace, but today, it is more closely aligned with economic mobility than with a life well lived. We, as educators, must make a strong case for higher education as a pathway to the fully realized American Dream for all students, serving as a catalyst for economic success, democratic vitality, and social participation.