The public’s opinion of institutions of higher learning is diminishing. Whether it is because of the high cost or perceived ivory-tower elitism, or due to worry about an overly liberal mindset, Americans are debating the state — and even the necessity — of higher education today. What happens when swaths of society devalue the academy? How should institutions promote the promise of liberal education? Should educational outcomes be measured, or is education a good in and of itself? Top leaders from UC Berkeley, Yale, and Franklin & Marshall discuss.