Inside Higher Ed discusses the themes found in the book  "Privatization of Public Universities" through a series of six questions.  a sample:

Q: Are there public colleges or universities that have dealt with changes in economic and political trends while also doing a good job of preserving their public missions?

A: States bear the primary responsibility for financing education in ways that enable colleges to maintain their public missions. A few states, including Minnesota and Indiana, have strong records of coordinating state funding of colleges with student aid in ways that maintain college affordability for middle- and low-income students. (cont.)

The themes discussed certainly makes one pause and reflect on the purpose of public universities and higher education.

Q: What measures do you recommend for determining whether a public college is still performing its public mission? Are there red flags that suggest a college may be crossing a line?

A: Unfortunately, most of the public accountability schemes implemented by states to date have not addressed two of the most critical issues related to protecting the public interest in higher education: 1) opportunity to enroll in four-year colleges for low- and middle-income students who have taken the steps to prepare for college; and 2) evaluation of the efficacy of state policies in achieving this goal. Accountability schemes typically reward universities with additional funding for meeting goals related to retention, diversity, and other outcomes in the interest of universities and students who can pay the cost of attendance. While such efforts can be appreciated for their marginal contributions to university budgets, they simply do not protect the broader public interest. When states encourage students to prepare for college but fail to provide enrollment opportunity, there is a breakdown in the public trust, if not an erosion of the public good through decline in economic opportunity.(cont.)

Do our policy makers have a general understanding of the role of a public higher education system?  Can our legislators tell us what is the public mission of our higher ed system?  The issue of public mission is central to the funding and operational issues concerning higher education, particulary access and affordability.