"Analysis of higher education is often divided between those who see little need for change and others who want to arbitrarily overhaul the system and impose unfamiliar policies. Such polar assessments preclude an objective examination of Latin America's higher education system and the ways to reform it.". "Myth, Reality, and Reform bridges these critiques by balancing the importance of the four key functions of higher education: academic leadership, professional development, technological training and development, and general higher education. The book suggests how to consolidate the strengths of higher education systems while fundamentally reforming their weaker features. Policy proposals dealing with finance, governance, and quality control are linked to the distinctive needs of each educational function." "The book's broad but provocative analysis - which examines higher education both in terms of domestic development and the international educational reform process - is aimed at a general audience as well as scholars and policymakers working in the education field."--BOOK JACKET.