ACTA's Must-Reads
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ACTA on holiday
Dear readers, please note that we will be on holiday until Monday, January 5th, and will therefore not be posting any Must-Reads until then. We wish you all the best for this holiday season and for the coming year.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 23, 2008 at 05:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Some thoughts on Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan's leadership in Chicago offers promise of an enlightened approach at the Department of Education -- one that moves beyond interest group squabbling, turf and territory to putting students first. He's shown a willingness to innovate and to try new things such as pay for performance for teachers and administrators, and encouraging teachers from non-traditional backgrounds. Since he sits on the Harvard Board of Overseers, it is our hope that he will use his bully pulpit to promote more engaged trusteeship. In these challenging times, boards have a unique opportunity to work with constituencies on campus to provide the best education at the lowest possible cost. As encouraged as we are by President-Elect Obama's choice of Mr. Duncan for his Secretary of Education, though, it will be for naught if he does not pick a reformer to oversee post-secondary education as well.
Posted by Anne D. Neal on December 23, 2008 at 12:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
E pluribus unum on campus
We noted previously an article in Inside Higher Ed describing a new study on diversity at colleges and universities. There is another point worth making about the report, namely that its lead author urges colleges to avoid segregating students in "ethnic enclaves," finding that they have negative consequences. This recommendation jibes with those of E Pluribus Unum -- a report issued earlier this year by the Bradley Project on America's National Identity, commended by historians and newspaper editorial boards nationwide, and overseen by ACTA -- and is one boards should take very seriously.
Posted by Charles Mitchell on December 23, 2008 at 10:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Efficiency measures result in $9 million savings
The administration of the University of Kansas, the state's largest public university, reported to the Board of Regents yesterday that the school has saved $9 million since efficiency measures were implemented in 2007. The measures, which include reorganizing the Information Services department, centralizing the acquisition of computers, negotiating better contracts with suppliers and avoiding wasting energy, come at a time when Kansas, like several other states, has made deep cuts to higher ed funding. ACTA commends the university administration and the board for working together to cut back spending -- and we urge other boards to see that their institutions do the same.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 19, 2008 at 11:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
On diversity and the exchanging of ideas
This morning, the top story at Inside Higher Ed trumpets a study documenting that students benefit by interacting with other students with different backgrounds. This is surely important research, but the study fails to address an even more important challenge to the robust exchange of ideas in the academic setting. Just as students should have the chance to talk life over with peers who have different life circumstances and values, the college years must offer them the opportunity to learn from faculty with a variety of intellectual approaches. This, unfortunately, is a difficult issue on campus, and an area that requires leadership from trustees and alumni.
As Brooklyn College professor KC Johnson and others have pointed out, on many campuses today, students don't even have the option of taking a course on military history -- and they have less and less opportunity to take courses in diplomatic, political, and economic history -- simply because scholars in these areas are not being hired as they once were. By exercising their proper role in governance, trustees can address this issue, and so can alumni in their capacity as donors. For some specific suggestions from ACTA, see Intellectual Diversity: Time for Action and The Intelligent Donor's Guide to College Giving.
Posted by Charles Mitchell on December 19, 2008 at 10:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What did it all mean?
ACTA, with the support of the Lumina Foundation, brought together yesterday a panel of experts to discuss the Higher Education Act and the future of higher ed. In her remarks, ACTA president Anne D. Neal explained that the HEA's increased demands for accountability essentially eliminate the need to keep accreditors as the gatekeepers of federal dollars. Regrettably, the law does not address the paramount question of what students are learning. On this point, a consensus did emerge among the various speakers that higher education must focus on delivering added value to justify to students and parents the cost of a degree. Looking to the future, most of the speakers emphasized the need for colleges to address what Americans view as the greatest problem in higher ed: the spiraling costs.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 17, 2008 at 02:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Speech codes: Still pervasive, still unconstitutional
From our friends at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education comes this damning report of the state of free speech on American campuses. According to FIRE's latest, a survey of over 300 colleges and universities from across the country showed that nearly three-fourths of schools have unconstitutional speech codes--restrictions on student expression that have been overturned in every court case in which they have been challenged. Even more alarming, FIRE shows that this problem is more acute at public universities, institutions directly supported by the government and thus legally obligated to protect First Amendment rights. Another problematic trend is the emergence of "bias-reporting" systems which allow students to lodge complaints anonymously about bias with campus authorities, with little or no accountability or standards of evidence.
Just as we did in our earlier publication Intellectual Diversity: Time for Action, ACTA urges trustees to review their student codes of conduct and harassment policies and to eliminate policies that infringe on students' First Amendment rights. Trustees should take note of a growing list of court cases that have struck down speech codes at schools such as Temple University, Texas Tech, and others. As they are entrusted with the well-being of their institutions, trustees must work to ensure that Universities are places where the free exchange of ideas thrives.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on December 16, 2008 at 05:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
On much-overdue accreditation restructuring
In the Chronicle of Higher Education, Milton Greenberg, professor emeritus at American University, writes compellingly on the failure of the regional accreditation system. He correctly posits that geography is no longer a defining characteristic of higher education, and that other criteria should be paramount in determining which accreditor a university should use. This is yet another way in which the current system of accreditation is simply unsustainable, and ACTA urges trustees to take note and seek change.
Posted by Noah Mamis on December 15, 2008 at 02:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Performance pay...for universities?
To many observers, it might seem a bit absurd that college and university officials are making the rounds at Congressional hearings to beg for more money for student aid and state appropriations, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reported yesterday.
Fortunately, there are voices calling for more responsible stewardship of tuition, taxpayer, and endowment dollars. A new report from the National Council of State Legislatures recommends, among other things, that higher education funding be linked to performance measures such as retention and graduation rates. ACTA's recent report cards on Georgia and Missouri both evaluate institutions in terms of retention and graduation rates, as well as performance as a criterion for funding. Trustees would be well advised to take note.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on December 12, 2008 at 03:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
ACTA congratulates Presidential Citizens Medal recipients
We at ACTA extend our warmest congratulations to two friends: James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, and Professor Robert George of Princeton, the first recipient of the Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education. Both were honored yesterday with the Presidential Citizens Medal, which recognizes U.S. citizens who have "performed exemplary deeds or services for [their] country or fellow citizens." Certainly both have. Mr. Billington, in his role at the Library of Congress, has fought to protect and promote American history. At Princeton, Professor George has been a staunch defender of the teaching of Western civilization through the Madison Program, which has been a model for oases of excellence across the country.
Posted by Anne D. Neal on December 11, 2008 at 02:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Bard today
The Books section of the New York Times today carries a review of a new work by Marjorie Garber, the William R. Kenan Jr. professor of English and American literature and language at Harvard, entitled "Shakespeare and Modern Culture." According to the review, Garber looks at the way the Bard and his work is used--and misused--in contemporary pop language and discourse.
This review illustrates two overarching themes. First is the timelessness of Shakespeare's works; they draw on permanent truths about the human condition, thus giving them a universality that allows people of different generations, localities, and walks of life to connect to Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, and Macbeth. Second is the unfortunate fact that Shakespeare today is often misunderstood or only given a superficial reading. These themes underscore the importance of colleges and universities encouraging their students to study Shakespeare--especially English literature majors. But regrettably, many schools seem to be giving the Bard of Avon short shrift these days, as ACTA pointed out in The Vanishing Shakespeare.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on December 11, 2008 at 02:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The Kerrey case: Trustees must defend strong leaders
ACTA is deeply troubled by today's news of a faculty no-confidence vote regarding New School president and distinguished public servant Bob Kerrey. While the vote involved only a small minority of faculty, media accounts indicate that it was based in part on ideological objections to President Kerrey's political views, as well as his not having a Ph.D. These, it must be said unequivocally, are not proper reasons to depose (or to choose) a president, and they should be condemned by all those who care about higher education.
It also seems clear that President Kerrey is under attack because he is, quite unapologetically, a strong leader who has striven to improve and reform his institution. This is precisely the kind of president trustees should select, empower, and -- in the tough times -- defend. We are pleased that so far, the New School's board is standing by President Kerrey, and we urge them to continue to do so. In the meantime, we will look further into this important case.
Posted by Charles Mitchell on December 11, 2008 at 10:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
ACTA statement on Robertson v. Princeton
ACTA president Anne D. Neal, co-author of The Intelligent Donor's Guide to College Giving, today issued the following statement regarding the settlement of the Robertson family donor-intent lawsuit against Princeton University:
Today's news from Princeton University is a wake-up call for college trustees across the country. As fiduciaries, they must make certain their institutions do not find themselves in the same position as Princeton -- paying out a hefty settlement after years of litigation and embarrassing discovery.This news should also send a message to alumni, who support our universities so generously. Alumni must take care to craft good donor agreements and see that the institutions they love so much honor their terms.
Especially in these challenging times, alumni support can be the lifeblood of higher education. That's why our colleges and universities -- starting with those in charge, the trustees -- must take proactive steps to make sure they are living up to their obligations to donors. This is a key part of ensuring a quality education.
Posted by Charles Mitchell on December 10, 2008 at 02:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The times, they are a'changin'
Newly closed Antioch College may be a harbinger of tough times for higher education, according to a new article by ACTA friend and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Donald Downs. In today's economy, Professor Downs writes, universities are starting to doubt their ability to grow indefinitely, and expensive but less prestigious private colleges are particularly feeling the squeeze -- since without Harvard-size endowments, they depend on their increasingly unaffordable tuitions. He goes on to cite eight reasons higher ed as we know it will be slimming down in the near future, all of which are excellent reading for trustees.
Posted by Michael Schilling on December 10, 2008 at 10:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ayers and academic freedom
ACTA president Anne D. Neal has a piece in The New Republic on the academic freedom questions raised by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's decision to cancel a speech by Bill Ayers. In the article, Neal draws an important distinction between the decision to invite a speaker on campus, which is left to the university's discretion, and the right to speak once an invitation has been extended, which the university must uphold.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 09, 2008 at 01:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
More on the cost-cutting front
Kevin Carey argues in the Washington Monthly that contra the claims of the higher education establishment, colleges and universities are perfectly capable of keeping costs down and passing the savings on to students and their families. And doing so is an imperative, as the current rate of tuition growth at both public and private schools is unsustainable.
Carey demonstrates how technological advances of the kind employed by Virginia Tech's Math Emporium project have allowed considerable savings; yet tuition and fees continue to rise with no end in sight. What is the reason for this? Carey suggests the combination of big-name sports programs, multi-million-dollar recreation centers, and rankings mania inflate the price tag, while quality undergraduate instruction slides further down on the priority scale. While technology cannot be a panacea for all academic ills, it can and should be used to promote the core responsibility of the university -- preparing the next generation. Just as it has been in other industries, technology can be a cause for cost reductions, not increases. And it's time trustees paid attention.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on December 08, 2008 at 04:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Learned words indeed
In today's Wall Street Journal, Columbia University sophomore Learned Foote calls for Columbia to overturn its longtime policy of banning ROTC from campus. As Foote points out, if Columbia believes what it says about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," there is actually no better way to address the issue than to allow ROTC back on campus, which would place many more well-educated Columbia graduates in positions to make change from within the military -- rather than, as he says, "standing on the sidelines." In saying so, Foote makes a crucial point that elite universities banning ROTC essentially ignore, namely: "A Columbia education provides a nuanced view of our complex global society. As an elite institution, we could help bring balance to our military, which is underrepresented both in the Northeast and among the wealthy."
Columbia's trustees -- who have been silent -- should take note of these excellent arguments and, as ACTA urged earlier this year, take action.
Posted by Charles Mitchell on December 08, 2008 at 03:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Homogeneous diversity
A three-day conference on "The Future of Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education" comes to a close today at Rutgers University. A quick look at the program reveals panels on "racial/ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic under-participation in postsecondary education," "race, ethnicity and gender," "previously marginalized groups," "groups that were marginalized in the past" and "communities of color and low-income communities." Regrettably absent from the list was intellectual diversity.
As ACTA has long insisted, a healthy marketplace of ideas is one of the cornerstones of a sound education. Students must be exposed to a variety of viewpoints in and out the classroom so that they learn how to think, rather than simply what to think. No discussion of diversity on campus can afford to exclude the diversity of ideas. As the Association of American Colleges & Universities rightly noted in their statement on Academic Freedom: "In any education of quality, students encounter an abundance of intellectual diversity."
Happily, there are some shining examples of a commitment to intellectual diversity. Some universities, such as the University of Missouri System, the City University of New York, and the University System of Georgia, have heeded ACTA's call and addressed this issue. Trustees elsewhere should follow their example.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 05, 2008 at 05:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Time for trustee action at Columbia
Columbia completed this week a non-binding student referendum on whether the university should repeal the ROTC ban and create a Navy ROTC program, the first in Manhattan. Although those opposed to bringing ROTC back to campus won the poll, they only did so by a slim margin, as the "yes" side ended up with 46 percent of the final tally.
While ACTA applauds the students for engaging the issue and putting it on the table, ultimately, it is up to the Board of Trustees to address this question and to heed President-Elect Obama's call to give students the opportunity to explore a career in the military.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 05, 2008 at 05:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The cost of college
An article in yesterday's New York Times discusses a report on American higher education with findings similar to ACTA's report cards on systems in Georgia and Missouri. Put out by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up 2008 illustrates the disproportionate increase in American college tuition relative to other economic factors like family income and the consumer price index. The past quarter century has seen college tuition and fees rise at three times the rate of median household income -- things look even worse if you only look at low-income families. Beyond these escalating costs, almost half of students at four-year colleges are not able to finish within six years, creating concerns that our nation will lack a properly educated workforce in the future. As a final blow, the report finds, any positive developments in the US are greatly overshadowed by gains in other systems internationally.
Talk about room for improvement!
Posted by Michael Schilling on December 04, 2008 at 03:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
CU professors say: Drop post-tenure review
The Boulder Daily Camera reports that a faculty committee at the University of Colorado at Boulder has presented CU president Bruce Benson with a list of proposed policy changes, complaining that the faculty in recent years has been "bogged down with paperwork" and "saddled with useless rules." Among the suggested changes is to abandon the post-tenure review system enacted in 1997 and bolstered by former president Hank Brown in the aftermath of the Ward Churchill scandal.
As ACTA wrote in an article in the journal of the American Association of University Professors, it's time for institutions to make certain that academic hiring and promotion processes are beyond reproach--and rigorous post-tenure review is essential to that certainty. Post-tenure review is an accountability tool that, when properly implemented, ensures that tenured faculty maintain the quality work that earned them the designation in the first place.
So, far from abandoning the process, it's time for CU to embrace it and improve it. In doing so, the university can allay the public's deep concern about tenure--and set a national standard for responsible self-governance.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on December 04, 2008 at 09:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
"Almost like summer camp..."
Today's New York Times has an article on the growing number of American undergrads who are going to study overseas, not just for a semester, but for the duration of their program. One student, who had begun her studies in the US and then transferred to Scotland, describes her American college experience as "very fun, almost like summer camp, with all kinds of extra help available. It's like they hand-feed you everything. I had one teacher who gave my paper back for revisions until I got an A-plus. That wouldn't happen here. There's not that kind of hand-holding." While the Scottish approach may not be better -- another students complains about the lack of feedback on assignments -- the student's remarks underscore the rampant grade inflation problem in American universities which ACTA documented in our report Degraded Currency.
Posted by David Azerrad on December 01, 2008 at 05:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack