For most of my professional career, I have believed that institutions, more or less, happen upon a seminal moment in their evolution. Indeed, when approached about consulting or management opportunities I typically first begin by looking at some combination of ethos, culture, board and management leadership, and cold, hard numbers to determine the possible. It…
Many college and university boards of trustees operate in a shockingly inefficient and counterproductive way. They are often an impediment to change and bastions of tradition, old boy networks, outdated practice and alumni parochialism. At other times, they may be testing grounds for new business models, consumer fads, or the will of the dominant trustees.…
Despite the evolving interpretation offered by state and federal courts, American higher education as a community remains committed in its support to increase diversity among students. At the same time, however, our colleges and universities largely fail to link diversity initiatives to specific workforce needs. This tendency often applies philosophically to all students enrolled, fueled…
On May 23, the Century Foundation Task Force on Preventing Community Colleges from Becoming Separate and Unequal released an important new study describing how best to strengthen community colleges to achieve socioeconomic mobility for more Americans. Led by co-chairs Anthony Marx, the president of the New York Public Library and former president of Amherst College,…
In the recent blizzard of press over the cost of higher education, the impact of technology, and the continued relevancy of the curriculum, much of the ongoing effort by higher education institutions to improve their environment has been lost as other more polarizing stories pushed to the front of the queue. For much of their…
Gallup, Inc. and the Chronicle of Higher Education released two surveys this month on what college presidents think. The results are fascinating. They speak volumes about the strength and weakness of American higher education leadership. Gallup conducted a web survey focusing on US college and university presidents to track their views on topics and issues…
Conversation is the coin of the realm in American higher education. Shared governance rests upon reasonable, open and transparent communication. Internal and external constituencies – including parents, alumni, donors, political leaders, and the media – embrace the motivations and actions that shape education, often more so depending upon who delivers the message. Curiously, conversation can…
The concept of higher education as the “great equalizer” may be the best outcome of the evolution of American colleges and universities in the 20th century. As education advanced and the needs of the workforce changed, Americans recognized with clearheaded pragmatism that education offered the most certain avenue “out and up.” They took advantage of…
A long, tough week has ended — more or less — in Boston. I grew up in Boston’s suburbs and spent twenty-five years away to return recently from grand adventures. Like millions of Boston expatriates living abroad – that is, west of Worcester – I always wanted to come back home someday. In these years,…