One of the most promising ways to widen pathways to STEM graduate education is within reach: creating and strengthening partnerships between minority-serving institutions and the nation's master's and doctoral STEM programs. The most effective partnerships are those that educate their communities along the way, including engaging STEM faculty and…

One of the common themes referenced in the news and in higher education journals today is the fragility of democracy, especially in the face of the challenges that democracies are now experiencing around the world. A central issue has to do with the increasing diversity of societies and of the challenge of creating pluralistic democracies that…

Many leaders, especially those new to leadership, may not have the experience or knowledge of systemic change leadership to ensure effective change processes. The Change Leadership Toolkit describes an ecosystem model of systemic change leadership that contains three main interacting components: leadership context, levers, and leader moves. The…

Governments and philanthropic organizations devote billions of dollars annually to higher education via appropriations and donations to support campus operations, research, financial aid, and capital projects. Likewise, students and their families invest time and money when pursuing a college degree. Due to these significant investments,…

In 2021, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) made a monumental move to require postsecondary institutions to evaluate and document their actions to ensure fairness in admissions, an inclusive learning environment, and equitable student outcomes. Around the same time, a team comprising educational measurement experts, diversity…

Equity-minded teaching entails intellectual and emotional labor that can create challenges and tensions for the instructors as well as the students. Equity-minded teaching requires problematizing disciplinary norms that center and uphold white, patriarchal, middle- and upper-class norms. This article discusses some of these challenges and tensions…

For several decades, there has been increasing criticism, first of the tenure track system and now at the rise in adjunct and non-tenure track faculty. Few believe the professoriate is organized in ways to meet institutional missions, deliver educational quality, or meet the goals of student success. The critiques suggest that tenure-track models…

A typology of budget-driven program reviews is categorized by two variables: the locus of responsibility and the timing of the review. When a budget-driven program review is first implemented during a crisis, the range of financial and administrative options are high, yet buy-in and match to mission are low. When a budget-driven program review is…

Colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to focus on diversity and inclusion to increase access, close equity gaps, and increase completion rates. Reaching these goals--and others central to institutional missions--requires collective efforts by faculty, staff, administrators, and students. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to…

Originally, the mission of the community college was one of access--to provide an opportunity for students to attend postsecondary education without leaving their communities. Over time, though, as more students enrolled in these institutions, many never left with an associate's degree, credential, or transfer to a four-year college or university.…

Philip H. Knight, co-founder of Nike, Inc., pledged $400 million to Stanford University last year (Gioia, 2016; Stanford University, 2016a). The gift will partially endow a $750 million fund intended to support 100 graduate students per year, with awards typically lasting for three years. The resulting Knight-Hennessy Scholars program will be the…

Community colleges and universities have traditionally functioned independently, serving their respective markets and offering different programs and credentials. Growing populations and workforce needs have inspired institutions of higher education to challenge their traditional roles to provide added pathways and opportunities for students. One…

Swings in enrollment and funding caused by the most recent recession have reminded community college leaders that the ups and downs of the economy can have a significant impact on their institutions. While the impact on enrollment and funding is well documented, lesser known impacts can be also be found on things such as student persistence,…

According to a 2010 survey on how university presidents spent their time, the respondents revealed that on a list of six common responsibilities, the one to which they devoted the least attention was "academic affairs." Derek Bok writes in this article that, although this finding seems to have attracted little attention, he finds it…

This article begins by observing that foundations come in all shapes and sizes. The mission and grant-making philosophy of any foundation are determined by an unscientific mixture of its history, changing external realities, and leaders. The article then continues by describing The Teagle Foundation, a small, philanthropic organization with about…