Book Review

Abstract

Book review of Rosenberg, B. (2023). “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Harvard Education Press. In “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It,” Brian Rosenberg challenges entrenched traditions in higher education. Combining candid insight and wry humor with bold proposals, Rosenberg critiques static institutional structures, advocates flexible teaching models, and questions the sacrosanct nature of majors. This review highlights Rosenberg’s efforts to foster innovation, inclusivity, and meaningful student engagement in college-level teaching.

Keywords: transformational change; higher education; teaching innovation; curriculum reform; experiential learning

Brian Rosenberg’s “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education offers a timely and thought-provoking exploration of some of the most pressing challenges facing colleges and universities today. Written with clarity, candor, and a touch of good-natured irreverence, Rosenberg—the former president of Macalester College—draws from his years of experience in academic leadership, which includes recent efforts to transform higher education in Africa, to question the long-held orthodoxies and entrenched practices that make meaningful change so difficult within institutions of higher learning. While Rosenberg’s roadmap for reform remains loosely defined—he positions himself more as a diagnostician who illuminates structural and cultural barriers and warns of the consequences of stagnation—his insights still serve as a valuable critique of higher education and a starting point for reimagining teaching and learning at colleges and universities.

From the outset, Rosenberg acknowledges the paradox that exists within academic culture: “One of the ironies of academic culture is that, at institutions built around a commitment to critical inquiry and the open exchange of ideas, there are some orthodoxies that one simply does not question.” This pithy observation sets the stage for his central goal, which is, in his words, “to question them.” Rosenberg laments that “a president or dean who does not pay obeisance to the model of the scholar-teacher, the necessity of majors, or the wonders of shared governance will not be a president or dean for very long” (p. xi). Far from devaluing these traditional pillars, Rosenberg’s intention is to examine them in a clear-eyed manner. He asks whether these pillars, sacrosanct in many institutions, might be modified or improved so that colleges can more effectively serve learners of all backgrounds and ages.

Central to Rosenberg’s argument is his exploration of why higher education has resisted transformation, even when external forces such as cost, changes in student demographics, and evolving workforce demands have become impossible to ignore. He asks, “What is it about the structures, practices, and culture within higher education that has for so long prevented transformational change in an industry that, by most measures, is under enormous pressure and failing to deliver fully on its promise?” (p. 5). This candid self-examination is particularly valuable for faculty, as it underscores the systemic inertia that impacts curriculum development, pedagogical innovation, and institutional responsiveness to student needs. Rosenberg is frank about the fact that, even when an institution is “on life support” (p. 5), it often clings to long-established, sometimes dysfunctional, ways of doing things. His book challenges us to recognize that those deeply entrenched norms shape everything from hiring practices and governance structures to the ways we teach and learn.

One of the most compelling aspects of “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”  is Rosenberg’s direct critique of the traditional models of teaching and curriculum delivery. He suggests that colleges need to become more flexible and creative in their modes of delivery to serve a broader demographic than just the eighteen-to-twenty-two-year-old age group. This emphasis on flexibility resonates with ongoing discussions around hybrid and online learning. He also advocates for a more robust incorporation of experiential learning opportunities, insisting that students benefit from hands-on engagement with real-world challenges rather than relying solely on lecture-based instruction (p. 149).

Perhaps Rosenberg’s most controversial proposal is his call to reevaluate the traditional curriculum organized around majors. Instead, he encourages institutions to consider organizing the curriculum around a “mission” or a unifying challenge—such as urbanization, education, climate change, governance, or women’s empowerment (p. 151)—and to build cross-disciplinary programs that tackle these global issues. This mission-based approach would not only foster more intentional and integrated learning but also enable students to see the tangible connections between their coursework and societal problems. Indeed, Rosenberg has observed this kind of college-level, mission-focused curriculum taking root in several Africa-based universities, where interdisciplinary collaboration has yielded both enhanced student engagement and meaningful community impact. For those in the business of college teaching, this framework could spur innovative course design, interdisciplinarity, and curricular collaboration. It is a bold vision that challenges narrowly defined disciplines to create opportunities for deeper engagement and higher-impact learning experiences.

While Rosenberg’s work offers a cogent critique of higher education’s structural and cultural barriers to change, he might have gone further by more thoroughly addressing two critical issues. First, the book provides only cursory attention to the increasingly precarious conditions faced by contingent faculty—adjuncts, lecturers, and other non-tenure-track instructors—whose low wages, tenuous job security, and lack of institutional support raise urgent questions of workplace equity. Second, while Rosenberg aptly diagnoses the challenges confronting U.S. colleges and universities, he stops short of delivering clear, actionable strategies to guide innovation in a rapidly shifting political and economic terrain. Although his prophetic tone and broad criticism illuminate the need for new thinking, more granular, forward-looking proposals could have offered college leaders and policymakers a stronger foundation on which to build tangible reforms.

These criticisms notwithstanding, “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It” stands out as an essential read for anyone invested in the future of higher education. Rosenberg’s willingness to question entrenched traditions can galvanize productive conversations around curriculum design, faculty hiring, and institutional governance. His book offers a rallying cry for those who recognize that systemic change is necessary if higher education is to fulfill its promise to learners of all types and in all stages of life. Rosenberg’s insights serve as a call for creative disruption, inviting faculty, administrators, and policymakers to embrace new ways of thinking about colleges and universities. Rosenberg ultimately prods us to break free from longstanding institutional inertia and envision a more innovative, flexible, and inclusive model of higher education—one that empowers instructors, students, and institutions to teach well and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

References

Rosenberg, B. (2023). “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Harvard Education Press.