BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL There are wide variations in the levels of financial support that alumni offer to their alma maters. While alumni giving rates at a few select colleges and universities may approach 60% of the identifiable alumni, most institutions have substantially lower levels. It’s a persistent source of discussion in budget conversations on…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Almost 21 million people attend some variation of a college or university in the United States. For some, the purpose is obvious – to improve their skills, increase their wages, and enhance their marketability in the workforce. But for many – especially those in the traditional 18-22 year cohort – the…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Many of us in higher education have long been proponents of “laboratory” initiatives in the humanities, social sciences, professional and graduate programs that translate academic learning into real world experience. These initiatives serve a variety of purposes. They make critical inquiry more pragmatic. Most colleges and universities build their academic program…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL In an op-ed in the New York Times last month, Ford Foundation president, Darren Walker, speaks to the value of college internships. Walker noted the personal impact: “As a low-income kid from a small town who entered college without an extended network, my internships equipped me with the skills, confidence and relationships…