I think the smarter unis will adapt because they have no choice, but heads will roll anyway. Japan is a good example. While American universities are supported by growing demand, the population in Japan is shrinking at an alarming pace. There are universities, once leaders in their fields, seeing cutbacks from the Ministry of Education and facing bankruptcy. The government is also looking into closing a bunch of unis at the bottom of quality standards and utility of their courses.
That said, thriving universities here are not necessarily thriving because they are better. Location and price are a major factor, which may sound ridiculous, but is in line with the overall fast-food philosophy of higher education in Japan.
adaptation has only one path. online.
Many universities i the UK and US are already offering their courses online - for significantly smaller prices, too. I think they are already moving there. There have been a few humble efforts made in that direction here in Japan, too.
yeap. and it will get more and more aggressive in the future to the point of rendering them irrelevant.
American universities are supported by demand sure. The problem is if it wasn't for universities constantly pushing back to raise prices, which of course the government is like hellz yea raise prices no one could afford it. Most cant now.
Then of course you have the problem that the universities are pretty much running right along the collapse of having not enough money. All while every general education is like lets make a referendum and build MORE schools...which of course everyone agrees all while taxes skyrocket to build said schools...its really just a mess anywhere..
Not to mention the rich kids going to ivy league schools and spending huge bucks are rioting because they find out, like most of us have, its all a sham and a money grab and they are being fed crap they will never use after they get that nice REALLY EXPENSIVE piece of paper that says they are smart...
Hence the cheaper community colleges) It is more of an inequality (and unequal opportunity) issue, in my opinion. Not an issue with education per se.
It is still an issue, of course. =)