While American higher education often is rightly condemned for being inefficient, non-innovative, and resistant to change, there are exceptions, and there are some collegiate entrepreneurs whose success is worthy of … Continue reading “The Very Model of a Modern University President”
Members of the media and faculty erupted into histrionics at the recent appointment of Darrell Allison to the chancellorship of Fayetteville State University. It is a great scandal, they claimed; … Continue reading “Perpetual Scandal-Mongering as a Political Tool”
Tuition freezes are gaining popularity across the country. Earlier this year, university systems in Virginia and Pennsylvania announced that tuition would not rise in the next academic year, saving students … Continue reading “What Can Other Universities Learn from Purdue’s Tuition Freeze?”
A strong executive with a proven track record, though lacking a typical background in academia, is selected as president of a large public research university in America’s heartland. Quickly identifying … Continue reading “In Oklahoma, a ‘Transformative Leader’ Brings New Vision to University”
Higher education does not produce many flashy, innovating entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Peter Thiel, or Elon Musk. The non-profit, highly subsidized, and low-incentive culture that universities operate in … Continue reading “Mitch Daniels Has the Right Stuff for Purdue”
In a typical week, I get four or five inquiries from media relating to some higher education issue. Five years ago, perhaps five or ten percent of those inquiries related … Continue reading “Are College Presidents Paid Too Much?”
As the stock market gyrates and talk of a new recession begins, many universities have reason to worry. The cost of college education hasn’t stopped rising, students are fearful of being burdened by debt, and political pressure is beginning to weigh in. Congress is entertaining a bill that would require 25 percent of a school’s endowment spending to go toward student financial aid, and several presidential candidates have unveiled plans to solve the student debt crisis. At the state level, the return of state support to its pre-recession levels may be in jeopardy. But a few universities have chosen to take a different route. In addition to looking for more state revenues, they’ve found ways to reduce their expenditures and to ease the financial burden on students.
So far, Mitch Daniels has managed to skillfully navigate the treacherous waters of academic politics and actually get some things accomplished. By really leading, instead of following the pack, he may be paving the way for other non-traditional university presidents at a time when the status quo is no longer enough.
A no-nonsense politician completes his first year as president and has ambitious plans in store for the university.