A Case for Caution: Twenty-One Years of Bologna and Ramifications for the U.S. Higher Education

Abstract

The spread and influence of older European higher education models and the current Bologna Process (BP) is strongly linked to its colonial and neocolonial hegemony. However, the 1999 convergence of European models under the umbrella of the BP reform has had implications beyond the colonial and neocolonial spheres, with its effects impacting even the well-established and reputable education systems of North America. Unlike the countries of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and the United States did not have any reasons to embrace the BP models. However, they are indirectly affected by it. The international nature of academe, characterized by cooperation and exchanges, has made it impossible for United States tertiary education systems to avoid the effects of the European BP reform entirely. Student and faculty mobility, transferability of degrees, and joint and dual degree offerings have increased significantly as a result of the “external dimension” objectives of the Bologna reform. The highly globalized higher education market is characterized by partnerships and exchanges, including competition between European and the United States colleges and universities over international students. The BP ultimately has and will likely continue to influence the calculations of higher education stakeholders in the United States.