THE HECHINGER REPORT — If asked to assess the current posture of higher education leaders across the nation, it would be reasonable to describe it as a “defensive crouch.” Brought sharply into focus during the 2007-8 Great Recession — and seemingly every month since in the news and on social media — the U.S. higher education debate circles around whether college degrees are worth students’ and their families’ investment of time and money, or whether marketable, job-friendly skills can be more efficiently acquired elsewhere.