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The Crumbling Ivory Tower: Academia's Fall from Knowledge Citadel to Status Marketplace

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  • Oliver, James

Abstract

Universities, once citadels of scarce knowledge, now sell status credentials. This paper argues academia clings to relevance by gatekeeping status through degrees—a model rendered obsolete by the printing press, internet, and AI. Historical resistance to disruptive ideas (germ theory, plate tectonics) mirrors modern reluctance to adopt open-access education and skill-based certification. Soaring student debt and peer-reviewed orthodoxy reveal a system prioritizing self-preservation over progress. To survive, academia must decentralize, leveraging AI-driven learning and validating competence via output, not diplomas. Without reform, universities risk obsolescence in an era where knowledge transcends ivory towers.

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  • Oliver, James, 2025. "The Crumbling Ivory Tower: Academia's Fall from Knowledge Citadel to Status Marketplace," OSF Preprints wzq2b_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:osfxxx:wzq2b_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/wzq2b_v1
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