IntroductionHigher education exists to produce knowledge. This mission is accomplished by researchers and teachers, working cooperatively, with the aim of forming educated citizens. It is through research, innovation and education that we improve our society. Educating the whole person was one of the primary goals of higher education. Today, many competing goals influence the missions and funding philosophies related to public universities. In the first chapter of How to Succeed in School Without Really Learning: The Race for Degrees in American Education, David Labaree (1997) identifies three defining goals of education. To provide context for how the three goals may compete or align, two elements will be used to analyze the goals. The first is an article regarding the role of government in financing higher education (Baum, 1995) and the second document, The Arizona Higher Education Enterprise: Strategic Reignment 2010 forward, is the strategic plan of the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) (ABOR, 2010).The defining objectives of educationThe three objectives of education are: social efficiency, social mobility and democratic equality (Labaree, 1997). To better understand them, we must compare and contrast them along various philosophical dimensions used to answer questions such as "what level of education should a person receive?" » or “is higher education intended to be a public or private good?” » Social Efficiency If the goal of higher education were based solely on the goal of social efficiency, students would only get the amount of education they need for a job, and no more. This level of education is not determined by competition or status. It is a combination of private and public interests, but seen more...... middle of paper ...... higher education. Not all three goals can be achieved without sacrificing one element of one goal in favor of promoting another. Goals will often conflict with each other, providing opportunity for critical debate about the central mission of higher education. Works Cited Arizona Board of Regents. (2010). Arizona's Higher Education Enterprise: Strategic Realignment for 2010. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Board of Regents. Baum, S. (1995). The federal role in financing higher education: an economic perspective. Paper presented at the National Conference on How the Federal Government Can Best Help Students and Families Finance Postsecondary Education, October 8-9, 1995. Labaree, DF (1997). How to succeed in school without really learning: the race for diplomas in American education. (pp. 1-52).New Haven, CT: Yale UniversityPress.