Here is a story in The Wall Street Journal about the Minerva Project. According the to article, the main objectives of this new university are to:
- Deliver an undergraduate education at lower cost.
- Eliminate courses that are not needed in undergraduate curricula.
- Offer some new and different courses.
- Teach critical thinking to students.
These improvements can be achieved within the framework of existing higher education by universities adopting Lean management (item 1) and by using the Lean teaching pedagogy (items 2, 3, and 4). It would be a lot simpler and less expensive to do this, and good for the long-term future of higher education.