The cost of higher education has long been the subject of public debate, but the recent outcry over soaring tuition rates—often coupled with politicians’ claims that public higher education is straining state budgets—has reached almost a fever pitch. Hypotheses about why college costs so much seem as numerous as the critics themselves. The solution that’s often proposed to these problems is to “stop trying to be all things to all people.”
Beyond Programs: Leadership Lessons from Ireland’s Inclusive Universities
During a recent sabbatical studying inclusive postsecondary education in Ireland, I visited four universities—University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Mary Immaculate
Ashley Rodrigues
July 20, 2026
