Cum Munus: On the value of higher education

Abstract

Establishing and communicating Higher Education’s value has become a necessary, yet daunting task for policymakers and postsecondary leaders alike. Simultaneously, the general public, including students and families, as well as philanthropic foundations and the business sector have entangled their prosperity within the activities and outcomes of US Higher Education more than ever before. These publics are seeking – and at times demanding – for more complete, cogent, and compelling answers to the question, “What is Higher Education’s value?” This project uses Roberto Esposito’s philosophical investigation of the cum munus to theorize a new concept for understanding, and potentially a new metric for measuring the value of Higher Education – community.