The Causes and Consequences of the Academic Reformation, 2025–2060

Abstract American research universities experienced fragmentation and decline following the populist uprising of the mid-2020s. This article examines the causes and consequences of the academic reformation, analogizing the weaknesses of research universities in the 2020s to the weaknesses of the Roman Catholic Church of the sixteenth century. The article highlights several ruinous trends dating from the 2010s. These included high costs, the rise of just-in-time learning, and socio-political initiatives that alienated large segments of the public. The article discusses the benefits and costs of the academic reformation and what changes could have been put in place to prevent the decline of American research universities during the period.