ABSTRACT
This chapter considers why better narratives are needed, what it is about higher education that narratives need to change, and who needs to change the narratives. It is intended to promote solution-based thinking by encouraging narratives that frame higher education class inequality in a changeable rather than entrenched way. The chapter suggest the importance of narrative therapy inspired techniques in considering the limiting nature of personal narratives. Stories become part of the cultural fiber influencing individual beliefs and behaviors. Our stories need to describe a public higher education system that is part of a social compact defining us as a nation. Higher education needs better narratives for at least three reasons. One reason is because narratives influence how phenomenon are socially created. second reason is because narratives can change underlying beliefs. A third reason is because narratives frame incentives for change. Incentives can encourage higher education changes that create a more equitable system for students of all socioeconomic levels.
