BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL In the cycle of each academic year, two events come together on college campuses to demonstrate the continuity of tradition, business, and the calendar. The first is “move in” day. It’s one of my favorite moments, exceeded only by Commencement and perhaps the emotion that comes during an unexpected win in…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Scott Jaschik recently interpreted the findings from the 2017 Survey of Admission Directors, sponsored by Inside Higher Education and Gallup and drawn from a sample of 453 admission directors. While the full discussion of these findings is too complex for this space, the general conclusions, especially those specific to enrollment patterns,…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL The range and scope of academic programs in higher education has become increasingly complex. New programs emerge almost daily to adjust to consumer demands and workforce needs. Applicants can easily become confused as they attempt to judge quality, complexity, cost, and a return on investment. The result is often a mishmash…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Writing in the New York Times last month, Laura Pappano offered a thoughtful analysis of the efforts by public colleges – principally public flagship universities – to find new sources of revenue, diversify their student bodies, and expand their national reputations. It’s an interesting trend that should be watched closely. America’s…
BY DESIREE ZERQUERA Guest blogger Desiree Zerquera, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership Studies at the University of San Francisco. Her research focuses on the structuring of access and opportunity for marginalized students, particularly within urban universities. With fall recruitment in full swing, many colleges and universities may be eager to tout…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL For thousands of high school students, October marks the start of the college application season. Application deadlines approach, standardized tests and essays are finalized, and this year, an earlier deadline for the FAFSA financial aid application. In a series of reports last month, seasoned higher education journalist Scott Jaschik presented some…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL One of the most persistent problems facing American higher education is how best to create a seamless pathway among the various higher education sectors. This is especially problematic for community college students seeking to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. For them, the transfer pathway is a bumpy one full of…
Last week, I wrote about the upcoming Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. I recently attended an event sponsored by the ACLU, discussing the upcoming court term, including this case. There are a few unusual elements to the case that I want to talk about this week. Once again I am…
On October 10, 2012, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, a major affirmative action case that could fundamentally change college admissions for many students. At issue are questions of how schools achieve racial diversity in their student bodies—or if they should even be trying. The…