with video: University of Michigan featured on Colbert Report as a school 'doing it right'

"You say theres a crisis in education right now where colleges aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. Who's doing it right out there?" Colbert asked his guest.

Hersh highlighted Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Virginia and University of Michigan as schools that "have cultures that are very challenging."

"University of Michigan as an undergraduate school does some wonderful work with students," Hersh told Colbert.

"And what does that mean?" Colbert asked. "What do you mean the wonderful work? Because there's some things that all students can appreciate when they go to college. You know, gaining 15 pounds and being in an a cappella group. Those are universal. What is like a specific thing that a college might do different?"

Hersh responded:

"That no matter which course they take, or at least for most courses, they're being asked to actually engage in serious thought, lots of reading, lots of writing and getting a lot of assessment and feedback. And where in fact they are challenged all the time, rather than simply taking courses for credit hours and getting a diploma."

A U-M alumnus was featured on a 'Colbert Report' segment on Occupy Wall Street in October.