Book Review: “The Synthetic University: How Higher Education Can Benefit From Shared Solutions and Save Itself”
This article is part of NASFAA's occasional book review series, where members share their reflections on books, published within the past five years, on higher education themes of interest to financial aid professionals. The opinions offered and statements made do not imply endorsement by NASFAA or the authors' employers and do not guarantee the accuracy of information presented. Would you like to suggest a book for a future review? Email us at [email protected] with your recommendation.
James L. Shulman’s “The Synthetic University: How Higher Education Can Benefit From Shared Solutions and Save Itself” presents a timely evaluation of the current financial models of higher education, specifically emphasizing the need for collaboration. For financial aid and enrollment management professionals, the book offers both a sharp diagnosis of higher education’s fiscal challenges and a blueprint for creating more sustainable, effective institutions.
Reviewed by Joseph Miller, Ed.D., vice president of enrollment management and marketing, Withrop University
Shulman’s argument is straightforward: higher education cannot solve its financial constraints through isolated, institution-specific efforts. Instead, the future of cost control and efficiency lies in positive collective action, where shared solutions between institutions can reduce expenses and generate sustainable models for academic and administrative functions.
The Financial Challenges Facing Higher Education
Shulman acknowledges the pressing financial realities facing colleges and universities. Rising costs for academic instruction, facilities, and auxiliary services such as housing and dining have escalated rapidly, outpacing inflation and placing increased financial burdens on students and their families. Financial aid professionals are acutely aware of these challenges, as they see the gap between rising tuition and stagnant federal and state aid programs leaving more families unable to afford higher education. The result is an ongoing struggle to reconcile limited resources with growing needs.
Institutions are often attracted to implementing do-it-yourself solutions, such as slashing budgets or increasing class sizes. However, Shulman argues that such piecemeal strategies fail to address the systemic inefficiencies at the heart of higher education’s growing costs. As a result, institutions are left with a patchwork of unsustainable fixes that ultimately degrade the quality of education and increase the financial burden on students.
The Case for Collaborative Solutions
At the core of Shulman’s book is the idea that higher education institutions can benefit from shared solutions. These solutions might involve consortia or partnerships, where colleges and universities pool resources, share expertise, and collaborate to provide services more efficiently. Shulman draws on his experience with Artstor, a shared digital library developed with multiple universities for research and teaching purposes, as a successful example of what such collaborations can achieve. Now integrated with the JSTOR shared library, it offers thousands of institutions access to digital resources at a fraction of the cost of building similar databases independently.
Shulman extends this concept to other areas of higher education, such as course content delivery and administrative functions. One example he cites is the Sunoikisis consortium, where institutions share classical studies course content to reduce duplication and provide richer learning experiences for students. Enrollment management professionals may find this model relevant to initiatives such as credit transfer policies and community college pathways, where collaboration between institutions can streamline student transitions and improve four-year graduation rates.
The idea of collaboration can also extend to the ways institutions manage financial aid processes. Rather than each institution developing its own systems, shared platforms or regional consortia could create more efficient models that reduce costs while ensuring equity for students.
The Role of External Vendors
While collaboration between institutions is a cornerstone of Shulman’s argument, he also acknowledges the potential role of external vendors in driving efficiency. Vendor-driven solutions, such as data and technological platforms or outsourced services, can help institutions achieve economies of scale. However, he warns against overreliance on vendors, highlighting the potential for misaligned priorities and the loss of institutional control over critical functions.
Financial aid professionals are already familiar with the role of external vendors, particularly in areas like FAFSA processing, customer service, and loan servicing. Shulman’s analysis encourages higher education professionals to critically examine vendor relationships, ensuring that they serve the institution’s long-term interests rather than simply providing off-the-shelf solutions.
Challenges to Collaboration
Shulman is realistic about the challenges involved in implementing collaborative solutions. He acknowledges that many institutions are reluctant to cede control, fearing the loss of their unique identities or autonomy. Additionally, the political and human capital required to create and maintain partnerships is substantial. For financial aid administrators, the prospect of harmonizing aid policies across multiple institutions may seem daunting. However, Shulman argues that the potential benefits — such as reduced costs, increased efficiency, and improved student outcomes — could make these efforts worthwhile.
Shulman also highlights the potential legal barriers to collaboration. Antitrust regulations, for example, prevent institutions from working together in certain ways that might be seen as collusion. These regulations add an additional layer of complexity to the collaborative models that Shulman advocates, requiring careful navigation to ensure compliance.
Conclusion
“The Synthetic University” offers a compelling vision for the future of higher education. For financial aid and enrollment management professionals, the book provides a roadmap for addressing the rising costs and inefficiencies that have plagued the sector for years. The author’s call for collaboration, both among institutions and with external vendors, presents a potential solution to the unsustainable financial models currently in place.
However, these solutions come with significant political, legal, and practical challenges. Ultimately, Shulman’s work challenges higher education to rethink its approach to cost containment and efficiency, emphasizing that the future will depend on the willingness of institutions to work together for the common good.
“The Synthetic University: How Higher Education Can Benefit From Shared Solutions and Save Itself,” by James L. Shulman, Princeton University Press, November 28, 2023, pp. 272.
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Joseph Miller, Ed.D. is vice president for enrollment management and marketing at Winthrop University, providing leadership to the offices of admissions, financial aid, and university communications and marketing. With over two decades of experience in higher education, Miller has served several institutions across the Southeast, leading enrollment and marketing plans that have set historic institutional enrollment records while also increasing reputational rankings and overall institutional selectivity. He gives presentations and regularly contributes to articles and workshops on enrollment management, faculty partnerships, and student success and retention. Miller holds a Doctor of Education through Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education.
Publication Date: 2/10/2025
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