Governance

University boards have the primary responsibility for ensuring fidelity to the institution’s mission, managing university finances, and setting personnel policies. The following articles expose poor governance practices and identify policies that keep boards accountable to the taxpayers, students, parents, alumni, and donors whom they serve.

Sep 4, 2015 · George Leef

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.

Sep 2, 2015 · George Leef

Federal Rules Run Afoul of First Amendment

In trying to avoid liability for “sexual harassment” under Title IX regulations, many schools have gone way too far. They have allowed hyper-sensitive or vindictive students to use the regulations as a weapon against anyone whose speech offends or annoys them.

Aug 31, 2015 · Harry Painter

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.

Aug 26, 2015 · Anne Neal

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.

Aug 14, 2015 · Tyler Fisher

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.

Aug 10, 2015 · Jesse Saffron

Survey Says: UNC System Only Needs Band-Aids, Not Real Reform

Results from an employer survey suggest that graduates of North Carolina’s 16 public universities—especially those from less selective schools—are deficient in terms of their written and oral communication, work ethic, and workplace etiquette. Such problems are serious matters, and they must be addressed in ways that reflect that seriousness. Unfortunately, some system leaders—echoing recommendations made by the surveyed employers—have proposed surface solutions, such as expanding career counseling and internship opportunities. The UNC system should not put much faith in band-aid approaches that hide the serious problems underneath its surface. Better to keep focus on the system’s real shortcomings—general education programs—even if feathers get ruffled.

Aug 7, 2015 · Isaac Morehouse

Why Innovation Beats Politics in Reforming Higher Education

There is a powerful lesson in the emergence of companies like Uber for those who wish to reform higher education. All the focus tends to be on political and policy debates, but meanwhile innovators are busy working around the status quo without waiting for permission or consensus.

Aug 5, 2015 · Harry Painter

Election 2016: Where the Republican Candidates Stand on Higher Education

Higher education is often an ignored issue in presidential campaigns. The 2016 campaign, however, may be different. The focus on higher education looks to be unusually strong, with issues such as student debt affecting many millions of potential voters and receiving multiple mentions in campaign speeches and interviews on both sides of the aisle.

Aug 3, 2015 · Jesse Saffron

The Faux Field of Dreams: If You Build A University Research Park, They May Not Come

Before committing taxpayer money and university resources to public-private research parks, higher education officials and elected leaders should reconsider a more proven way for regional universities to enhance economic outcomes. And that is to provide a quality educational experience that increases citizens’ human capital, thereby producing positive “spillover effects” in the local area.