Research Brief: The Blockchain – A Review of the Opportunities for Higher Ed

What the blockchain does is get rid of the notion that institutions operate as siloed entities, involving them instead as part of a larger system of data transactions. An exclusive report for our members by Alicia Miranda, Senior Research Analyst, Academic Impressions On average, college students will now attend three or more institutions before receiving […]

The Words We Use: How Higher Ed is Responding to Calls for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Increasingly, faculty leaders are responding seriously to the call for more “culturally relevant pedagogy,” referring to more inclusive classrooms and pedagogical styles. This article draws on findings from a recent inquiry into how institutions are thinking about equity within pedagogy. In late 2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), I conducted 28 phone interviews with both […]

Why Professional Development is a Strategic Priority During a Time of Rapid Change

During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the academic workforce is distributed and opportunities for collaborative learning, networking, and sharing of ideas and successes are more limited, leadership support for professional development in higher education is more critical than ever. To come out of the crisis thriving, colleges and universities have to […]

Finding the Leaders We Don’t Know We Have

To meet the challenges facing higher education, we need to start finding leaders who don’t fit the charismatic stereotype. A recent program developed in the for-profit sector may provide a model for finding our colleagues who have enormous potential for leadership but who frequently remain invisible to us. Patrick Sanaghan explains. Several years ago, a […]

Why So Many Abrupt Exits for University Presidents? And How Can We Prevent Them?

At four institutions, a university president exited abruptly – in a single week in June. What causes such abrupt departures? And how can they be prevented? On June 24, 2019, campus leaders and stakeholders awoke to find out that four campus presidents (Auburn, Bennett, Marist, Mullenberg) “were out, without notice or explanation”—to quote the headline […]

Creative Destruction: The New Economic Reality in Higher Education

How is higher education changing, and can institutions rise to the challenge of their at-risk status? The answer hinges on how college and university leaders choose to respond. U.S. higher education is now a business enterprise. No longer is it universally considered a unique social institution dedicated to the common good. The recent Great Recession […]

How Bay Path Boosted STEM Success for Underrepresented Women

Establishing a Center of Excellence for Women in STEM has improved academic success, engagement, and retention of underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation undergraduate women in Bay Path University’s STEM majors. Here’s what Bay Path did, and some lessons learned that may be key if you would like to undertake a similar initiative. by Gina Semprebon, PhD, […]

How State Funding for Higher Ed is Changing: A Close Look

How are states responding to a leveling off of demand for higher education from high school graduates? Here is a data dashboard to help you take a close look. When Americans talk about our higher education systems, we point with pride to the wide diversity of offerings in the US. There are 7,000 post-secondary options […]

Presidential Dialogues: Leading in Complex Times

How do you confront tradition-bound institutions and mobilize campuses to move forward? Recently, we gathered five leaders from very different institutions to discuss this issue in-depth. We know that change on any scale is difficult, so how do these leaders motivate and mobilize their campuses to move forward, especially knowing that change comes slowly? How […]

Report: The Skills Future Higher-Ed Leaders Need to Succeed

How do you lead when there is no map? When the territory is unknown? The swift pace of change and the complexity of the challenges facing our colleges and universities is immense, and is testing the abilities of our institutions’ leaders. The playbook of the past does not offer a sustainable path forward for all […]