An important issue has yet to take center stage in the debate simmering over the impact that credentialing will have on the relevancy of a college degree. There is a difference between completing certification that leads a student/employee to present credentials and verification that credentials actually demonstrate proficiency. What happens if our commitment to increasing…

I had lunch in Boston last week with Rob Hutter and Michael Staton, partners at Learn Capital, based near San Francisco. Both are extremely creative, committed and entrepreneurial thinkers about the intersection of ed tech and higher education. The conversation ranged widely as time flew by. What struck me most during it, however, was a…

Historically, three groups share principal responsibility in collegiate governance. Boards of trustees are charged with financial stewardship, administrative oversight, and creating a climate in which all parties, especially the president, can succeed. Presidents and their senior staffs manage the enterprise. The faculty plays a critical role in program development and review.  Shared governance also encourages…

In last week’s blog, we spoke about the need for America’s colleges and universities to come together in new configurations to create efficiencies and economies of scale. While acknowledging the many reasons not to proceed, we argued that the drive to hold down sticker price, competition with each other and from for-profit and accredited online…

American colleges and universities have reached a tipping point in their evolution. The old business, financial and program models are insufficient. Consumers now balk at the advertised sticker prices charged. Local government, trapped by a spiral of declining revenues in a long and deep recession, challenges the nonprofit status of these institutions. Endowments  – at…

As the federal government, encouraged by the media, looks more closely at college and university sticker prices, the American higher education community must be ready to cooperate where possible and defend itself when necessary. The polls overwhelmingly demonstrate that Americans are concerned about the cost of college education. Most of them fail to draw a…

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama took the unusual step of commenting on the need for rethinking accreditation.  He also touted the creation of a College Scorecard.  The Scorecard would create benchmarks – a low cost of attendance, high graduation rates, high employment rates, and high salaries – by which consumers would…

At this time of year, college applicants struggle to find the right institution for them. In the early stage of the process, the first decision is to determine whether or not they would feel most comfortable at a large institution or in a smaller setting. I always encourage students to visit those campuses that meet…

As American higher education begins to adapt to the changes that engulf it, one basic assumption must be that policy makers and educators see the education system in America as a continuum. For the moment, educators divide into two basic camps:  basic and postsecondary.  Each group has issues and opportunities, sometimes interrelated, but each approaches…

The leadership in America’s colleges and universities spends a great deal of time making the case for the kind of education that reflects the people, programs and facilities already in place.  It is an understandable position; indeed, on most levels many of us often wish that the argument had more legs.  Much of the defense…