Just imagine this nightmare scenario playing out at your institution of higher education: armed agents in navy blue "FBI," "ICE" and "DHS" windbreakers wandering the halls, stuffing files into boxes marked for evidence, removing and taking possession of computer hard drives, and sealing off rooms with yellow tape. Television reporters chase you and other university […]
Much of what we read today about higher education tends to dwell on constraints and reductions, but at least one sector of academe is actually growing. New medical schools are in various states of planning, development and accreditation, while existing schools are expanding class sizes, portending perhaps the greatest increase in this sector since World […]
Earlier this year, former College of DuPage President Robert Breuder almost won himself a $763,000 golden parachute to leave the institution in March 2016, three years before his contract expired; that contract has since been voided by the college's board, and the package reduced to $495,000. In an apparent response, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has […]
Decades ago, U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell eloquently stated: “The strength of the United States is not the gold in Fort Knox or the weapons of mass destruction we have, but the sum total of the education and character of our people.” Shortly thereafter, Pell backed up his statement by sponsoring legislation to provide grants to […]
In the time since Carey Haddock was a resident assistant 10 years ago, the typical job description has expanded and the stakes are much higher. “There’s definitely an increase in pressure and responsibility for RAs today,” says Haddock, who now trains and supervises RAs as assistant director of housing and residence life at Salisbury University […]
Your morning probably started like many of your peers. The voice in your head asks, “What’s possible for today? What can I tackle on my to-do list toimprove learning environments? Where will I find the budget?” Easier said than done. Optimism can quickly be squashed by tight budgets, daunting deferred maintenance, and competing priorities – […]
Turbulence in the world of campus finance since the Great Recession has been starting to smooth, but the outlook is hardly pre-recession rosy. Multiple forces are pushing institutions to change from the status quo. Institutions are feeling more pressure to advocate for state higher ed funding, prove their value to students and support the simplification […]
What college students are learning—and how—has become a mainstream talking point across the political spectrum. Much of this talk concerns dollars and cents—namely, cost and payoff. As a result, 2015 may be a year in which many institutions do a gut-check of their own value propositions, as pressure to increase affordability—and return on investment—pervades all […]
In this country, 25 states have enacted some form of legislation tying financial aid eligibility to student outcomes. At the same time, students are demanding more options and greater flexibility for achieving their goals, with one in nine likely to transfer to another school after one year. Welcome to higher education in the 21st century, in which funding, student outcomes, competition, and academic delivery are converging […]
