Universities, Be Ashamed We Have to Ask: What Are Students Learning?
Today, given the evidence we have of substandard learning outcomes, the longstanding assumption that colleges are adequately preparing students for life and work should be called into question by those who oversee our universities. If universities wish to avoid micromanagement of curricula, they must provide more information about learning outcomes. If they don’t do so voluntarily, pressure from legislators, governing boards, employers, students, and parents will likely force them to act.
The English Department’s Willful Self-Destruction
Are the humanities in trouble on American campuses? That is certainly the impression one gets from the media today; articles in publications of both left and right describe the increasing flight from the humanities into other disciplines. But is it all hype? After all, the blogosphere is always full of “next big things” or “imminent collapses” that never come to pass. And many academics scoff at the idea that the humanities are suffering from any sort of existential crisis. To find out the real situation, I explored what is going on in one of the main humanities disciplines, English. Concentrating on English departments and their faculties in the University of North Carolina system, I used a mix of empirical and qualitative methods to look behind all the rhetoric and wagon-circling.
University Endowments: Whose Money Is It, Anyway?
If you think that universities are not making the best use of endowment funds, you should look to persuasion rather than government regulation. There are many ways of trying to convince presidents, trustees, and other college leaders that they should change their approaches to the use of their endowments; that would be vastly better than turning to a recently proposed federal mandate.
Lake Wobegon Performance Measure Reveals All Community Colleges Above Average
North Carolina’s community college “earnings gains” measure may make the community colleges look good to those who do not look too closely, but it does not tell us much about how good they actually are. The system needs to go back to the drawing board; the new measure is more public relations than a true measure of performance.
Trustees Need Training, and They Need to Take Charge of It!
The ultimate responsibility in higher education rests with the governing boards of trustees. If trustees are to be thoughtful overseers, they need to be informed about the role of the board, higher education issues generally, and the challenges facing their state and their campuses. Their knowledge of such matters cannot be taken for granted; they need focused, ongoing education.
Rising UNC Student Loan Default Rates Indicate Fundamental Problems
Rising student default rates at University of North Carolina schools are rising, with particularly troubling rates at the system’s HBCUs.
Higher Education Technology Offers Much, But It Is Not Everything
Going forward, new technology will likely bring out the best in traditional universities by forcing them to justify their existence. If brick-and-mortar schools offer nothing better than the digital sphere does, they will be finished.
The Game Changer: Mitch Daniels Paves a New Path for University Presidents
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.
Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made? (Part II)
Today’s Pope Center commentary presents arguments by two distinguished writers on an age-old question: can entrepreneurship be taught or is it hard-wired into us? The first argument, by former university president and economist James V. Koch, suggests that entrepreneurship is primarily a matter of our inherent gifts. The second argument, by Buck Goldstein, Internet entrepreneur and “Entrepreneur in Residence” at UNC-Chapel Hill, suggests that entrepreneurship is more a “habit of mind” that can be developed.
Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made? (Part I)
Today’s Pope Center commentary presents arguments by two distinguished writers on an age-old question: can entrepreneurship be taught or is it hard-wired into us? The first argument, by former university president and economist James V. Koch, suggests that entrepreneurship is primarily a matter of our inherent gifts. The second argument, by Buck Goldstein, Internet entrepreneur and “Entrepreneur in Residence” at UNC-Chapel Hill, suggests that entrepreneurship is more a “habit of mind” that can be developed.