(DURHAM, June 16, 2005) – How good is higher education in America today? The competition for admission into certain highly selective colleges and universities may be greater than ever, but the vast majority of American college students don’t attend those schools. Even if they did, the same question arises: Does the reality of higher education measure up to the dream of millions of individuals and to the educational needs of the nation? Declining By Degrees: Higher Education at Risk explores these questions. The documentary airs on New Hampshire Public Television, Friday, June 24 @ 8 p.m., and again Sunday, June 26 @ 2 p.m.Set on four different college campuses across the country — a private liberal arts college, a major state university, a regional public university and a community college — this special examines both the promise and the peril in higher education today. The program premieres in the midst of a growing national concern about the quality of higher education, fueled in part by an increasing preoccupation with college rankings, grade inflation, declining academic standards and overall concerns about the quality and readiness of America’s workforce.Viewers will go behind the scenes of American higher education to experience college through the eyes of students, parents, professors and college administrators. Among the seven on-air advisors to the program is Richard H. Hersh, former provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of New Hampshire. Reported and narrated by Peabody Award-winning correspondent John Merrow, the program illuminates crucial issues about the quality of higher education in the United States.For more information about the program, visit the Declining By Degrees Web site.Beyond its award-winning local and national television programs, New Hampshire Public Television is a leader in education and community outreach. NHPTV provides instructional services for 206,000 students from kindergarten through high school; offers Ready To Learn programs and services for children preschool to age 8, parents, and early education professionals; and provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for educators in New Hampshire and neighboring states. For more information about NHPTV programs that entertain, educate and enrich, visit www.nhptv.org.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
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