A higher education analyst argues that widespread student disengagement in US universities—with only 38% of college students reporting active engagement according to Lumina Foundation-Gallup surveys—reflects systemic institutional failures rather than isolated classroom problems. The piece contends that universities have evidence of what improves engagement (faculty interaction, mentoring, smaller classes, accessible support) but have not adequately prioritized resource allocation to implement these solutions, contributing to higher dropout rates and unequal outcomes for disadvantaged students.