ACTA's Must-Reads

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Crisis management

Colleges and universities now ponder painful choices. Across the nation, academic programs face elimination, and faculty, including the tenured, are in jeopardy of losing their positions. Graduate schools face downsizing so deep that it imperils the next generation of faculty.

Professor Michael Bugeja of Iowa State University offers important advice on eliminating curricular bloat" and "serving students with more rigorous curricula focused on mission and degree progress." This is also ACTA's message and the rationale for our web resource on core courses at institutions throughout the nation: trendy, boutique courses often exist at the expense of solid general education courses and efficient major programs. Bugeja is exaggerating only slightly in referencing titles like "Harry Potter Science" and "Avatar Philosophy" as frequently supplanting freshman composition, laboratory science and American history requirements and resources.

Professor Begeja focuses on faculty, and that's important -- but there is an equally important lesson here for trustees. Working with faculty and administration, trustees have the critical responsibility of rethinking the priorities of their schools. This is a point that cannot be emphasized enough, and it is one effectively made by former University of Northern Colorado president Robert Dickeson, in his recently reissued book, Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance (Wiley and Sons, 2010). As Dickeson outlines, prioritizing academic spending is difficult, requiring an inclusive and discriminating review process and careful judgments, not mechanical formulae. But it is an obligation that must be met -- and trustees can lead the way.

A final word of caution: a small program does not equal an unimportant or dispensable program. A recent study by the Social Science Research Council shows that traditional fields of study (science, math, humanities, engineering) contribute significantly more to cognitive growth than others (education, business, communication). With proper leadership, out of higher education's adversity may come a much better focus on educational priorities.

Posted by Michael Poliakoff on March 31, 2010 at 11:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Teaching moment at Tarleton State

A public university; a drama class; and a student's decision to produce Corpus Christi, a play depicting Jesus as gay, for an assignment. These are parts of the story at Tarleton State University that resulted in a professor's decision to cancel the student production because of threats to public safety. Details of the story are outlined here.

Against a backdrop of public outrage, the University president defended the student's right to produce the play.

His thoughtful opinion invokes both the Constitution and the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act in which Congress reiterated the need for institutions of higher education to facilitate the free and open exchange of ideas. The HEOA should be required reading for higher education administrators and trustees.

The bottom line here is that public universities are bound to uphold the First Amendment.

As Tarleton State has learned, sometimes upholding the First Amendment can get pretty sticky. That's why the president deserves real praise for understanding that students do have the right to free expression in a classroom context, and articulating this important principle in courageous terms.

It's easy to uphold the First Amendment when we all agree. But what the Founders and Tarleton State commendably understand is that free speech is not only for agreeable speech. It's also for speech we abhor. It is for speech that offends -- whether it be about religious beliefs, lifestyles, or governmental policies.

Under the First Amendment, more speech -- not less -- is the answer when there is speech with which we disagree. That's why the fact that Tarleton State had to close down the classroom in response to security threats -- the heckler's veto -- is such a sad ending here.

It underscores what public polls have too often found: a large percentage of Americans don't understand the protections of the First Amendment. There's a teaching moment available here -- and Tarleton State should continue to take advantage of it.

Posted by Anne D. Neal on March 30, 2010 at 04:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The courage to cut

Closing programs or saying no to proposals for new ones requires courage and vision, and ACTA supports trustees in their efforts to control program expansion. We have made the ratio of new programs to closed programs an element of our state public higher education report cards for university cost and effectiveness. ACTA is very happy that presenters at the Association of Governing Boards annual meeting recently encouraged the membership to consider deep, systemic cost control part of their fiduciary duties.

Unfortunately, we still hear too often the excuse that closing or consolidating programs only angers faculty and does not save money. It does save money, and, paradoxically, can also raise academic standards.

There are examples all over the country. Instead of terminating important, but low-enrollment majors, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education used inter-campus consolidation to deliver more opportunities for less money. Multiple campuses now team up to deliver the major. University of California campuses at Riverside, Irvine, and San Diego jointly offer a graduate program in Classics. In an age of interactive video and smart classrooms -- in which higher education has heavily invested -- there is no excuse whatsoever for failing to look for new efficiencies in delivering high-quality instruction.

Closing and consolidating programs can also enhance quality. Interdisciplinarity is the frontier of the academy, but sometimes it should mean not creating new programs but blending existing ones together. Cutting and consolidating similar majors and programs and offering team-taught, interdisciplinary introductory and capstone courses is not only economically efficient, but sound educational practice.

Trustees can make enduring contributions to their institutions by insisting on such bold restructuring and improvement. There has never been greater need for their strong guidance.

Posted by Michael Poliakoff on March 24, 2010 at 04:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

CSU trustees advance college readiness

Despite calls to maintain the status quo, the trustees of the California State University system approved this week the "Early Start" program to address remediation rates that often top 60% at various campuses, and hover near 47% in English and 37% in math system-wide.

Starting in 2012, prospective freshmen who fail the CSU proficiency placement exams must take CSU-sponsored courses to address the deficiency before arriving at college. CSU anticipates this program will reduce the amount of remediation the campuses must offer and help their new students arrive ready for college-level work.

This is a wholesome and gentle way to address a grave problem; it's also an initiative that required considerable courage by the trustees, given internal opposition to change. ACTA encourages the Board to stay the course.

College readiness, like the Holy Grail, seems so very hard to achieve. While America's higher education entry rate, according to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development is strong and growing, the nation is at the bottom for college completion. Making a baccalaureate institution attractive to students who are not ready for its challenges often means financial disaster when they drop out, and it weakens the school's academic standards as well. The fact that our college graduates, on average, cannot rise above the intermediate level of literacy is terrifying proof of the decline in academic achievement from matriculation through graduation. Boards of trustees have an urgent responsibility to take an active role in addressing the problem, and it's heartening to see CSU trustees do so.

Another excellent example of trustees engaged in remediation reform comes from the City University of New York, once called "Remediation U." Thanks to action by the Board and administration, CUNY has in recent years shifted remediation from its senior colleges to its community colleges, helping the system focus its resources appropriately. Warm congratulations to CSU and CUNY trustees for their initiative to raise the level of academic preparation of new students.

Posted by Michael Poliakoff on March 22, 2010 at 11:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Grading Minnesota's public universities

For our latest state report card on public higher education, we turn to Minnesota and take a close look at the University of Minnesota system and the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System. As with our previous report cards in Georgia, Missouri and Illinois, we basically try to evaluate whether students are receiving a quality education at an affordable price. On the whole, while we note several bright spots, we find that there remains much to be done. As we conclude in an op-ed pub published in The Star-Tribune:

"Minnesota taxpayers have generously supported their state universities. If those institutions wish to continue receiving such largesse -- which they clearly do -- it is incumbent upon them to tackle the issues of cost and quality outlined in our report card."

Make sure you also catch ACTA program director Charles Mitchell's interview on Governor Tim Palewnty's weekly radio show "Good Morning Minnesota" (you can listen to the interview online).

Posted by David Azerrad on March 19, 2010 at 02:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Happy birthday ACTA!

March 17 is a special day -- and not just for the Irish! On this day, fifteen years ago, Jerry Martin, the former chairman of the philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder, announced the formation of a new organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic excellence and accountability in higher education. The National Alumni Forum, as it was known at the time, had a staff of three and a tiny budget. Nevertheless, it soon made an imprint on the higher ed landscape by demanding universities deliver a quality education at an affordable price. The rest, as they say, is history.

Thanks to the support of alumni, trustees and friends across the country, ACTA now employs a full-time staff of ten, finds itself at the center of important debates regarding quality and cost, and is spearheading path breaking work across the country to improve our colleges and universities. Cheers and thanks!

Posted by Anne D. Neal on March 17, 2010 at 10:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Outside speakers and intellectual diversity

A recent story in the Indianapolis Star details the Butler University faculty senate's quick dismissal of a student proposal to invite John Roberts, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to be this year's commencement speaker. The story indicates a range of possible rationales for the decision. Some, including the president of the senior class, believe faculty members objected to Chief Justice Roberts' ideology. Others, including the president of the Faculty Senate, point to a putative "no politicians" policy at commencement. And at least one faculty member has claimed that it takes several years to award an honorary degree, which would have ostensibly gone hand-in-hand with an invitation to speak at commencement.

Sadly, it is too late for Butler's Class of 2010 to have the opportunity to hear the Chief Justice. But Butler's trustees can make this sad affair into a teachable moment by reviewing the procedures for inviting outside speakers and awarding honorary degrees and reinvigorating the institution's commitment to intellectual diversity, as we suggest in a letter we sent to the board today.

There are few campus issues more urgent than protecting the free exchange of ideas. All institutions would do well to review the admonition of the faculty committee chaired by the distinguished historian C. Vann Woodward: "Above all, every member of the university has a special obligation to permit free expression in the university. No member has a right to prevent such expression. Every official of the university, moreover, has a special obligation to foster free expression and to ensure that it is not obstructed."

The Butler Board of Trustees should ensure that -- whatever happened here -- Butler has a comprehensive speaker policy that protects academic freedom as well as ensuring that students have access to a wide variety of views, so they can make up their own minds. If it does not, the board should work with the administration and faculty to craft one. We suggest that the board also consider other steps enumerated in our 2009 report, Protecting the Free Exchange of Ideas.

Posted by Michael Poliakoff on March 17, 2010 at 09:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Happy birthday James Madison!

Today marks the 259th birthday of a man who wore several different hats in his long and varied service to the fledgling United States. James Madison served in the first House of Representatives (1789-1793), was Secretary of State under Jefferson (1801-1809), and served two terms as the fourth President of the United States (1809-1817). His most important legacy, however, remains his role as the "Father of the Constitution." Madison was the primary author of our country's chief governing document and the author of many of the Federalist papers, in which he explained and defended the principles of republican government.

With regards to higher education, Madison's influence is still going strong at his alma mater, Princeton University, where the James Madison Program led by Professor Robert P. George enlightens students on the ideas and institutions that helped to shape the United States. This "center of excellence" is a beacon of coherence and integrity in an academic landscape that often lacks both. May it continue to inspire!

Posted by Sandra Diaz on March 16, 2010 at 03:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Boards and the budget crisis: engaged trustees desperately needed

University of California tuition is rising 32%, staff and faculty are being downsized, libraries are in jeopardy, and crowds were in the streets last week in protest. Community college students, ready for transfer, are shut out of slots at UC and CSU. And other states are not far behind California in reaching the precipice.

Bemoaning reduced resources is not the answer, nor is viewing the crisis as a state appropriation issue. Leaders need instead to welcome the opportunity to figure out ways to better -- and generally with less. William Tierney at the University of Southern California reminds us in this crisis of the failure of higher education leaders and policy makers to think beyond the status quo:

"Do we really need nine research universities?" he asks. "The student's education should come first." He says the four-year college degree could be consolidated into three, and that more administrative savvy is needed to make sure classes are available for the thousands of students who have had to stay in school for five and even six years because they can't get the classes they need to graduate. And he says the online education world needs to be explored since it has made so much progress over the past ten years... Even if California's budget problems were over today, we still cannot go back to business as usual here," he says. "We have a 20th century education system in the 21st century."

Yet, in the midst of these challenges, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that old practices die hard and that colleges are holding fast to the status quo. This, while 62% of university CFO's in the survey expect worse to come. Message to trustees: governing boards must be the visionaries, and challenge the attempts of the guardians of the status quo to resist inevitable change. This is their prerogative and their duty as trustees. ACTA publications and report cards have this goal in mind -- highlighting boards that are undertaking this important task. Thousands of students depend on trustees' energy, insight -- and impatience -- to be part of the solution. ACTA seeks to help.

Posted by Michael Poliakoff on March 08, 2010 at 03:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

CU regents deserve praise

ACTA's report Protecting the Free Exchange of Ideas urges trustees to incorporate the crucial issue of intellectual diversity into institutional statements and policies, praising the many institutions that have done so in recent years -- including Old Dominion University, Boston University, Amherst College, Rhodes College, and the University of Colorado, among others. At its February meeting, CU's Board of Regents took action to strengthen its policies even further, incorporating the following into a list of the university's guiding principles that will become part of the Regent Policies: "Promote faculty, student and staff diversity to ensure the rich interchange of ideas in the pursuit of truth and learning, including diversity of political, geographic, cultural, intellectual and philosophical perspectives." This is an excellent addition and other boards should take note.

Posted by Anne D. Neal on March 08, 2010 at 01:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Glad tidings for ROTC at Stanford

ACTA research fellow Erin O'Connor reports.

Posted by Charles Mitchell on March 08, 2010 at 11:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Active board members...and their opponents

As trustees who follow ACTA's work know, not everyone appreciates their fiduciary role in higher education. A recent -- and still notorious -- incident in the charter school world hasn't reverberated in higher education circles, but its lessons apply there as well.

Last fall, the CEO of Imagine Schools, one of the nation's largest charter school management organizations, shared his annoyance at school boards with his top execs and school principals. The CEO wrote:

Don't we want local boards to be grateful and helpful and take ownership of the school? "Yes" and "No". I do not mind them being grateful to us for starting the school (our school, not theirs), but the gratitude and the humility that goes with it, needs to extend to the operation of the school.

He continued, "Before selecting board members we need to go over the voting process and our expectations that they will go along with Imagine...if they can't convince us to change our position, we expect them to vote for our proposal." He suggested getting "undated letters of resignation from the start" from board members -- in case, presumably, a quick defenestration would be advantageous.

Heard any of this before? In higher education, it is probably packaged more artfully under a euphemism like "board discipline" or "board unity." But it's the same toxin.

The truth is, trustees need to fight for the interests of students, parents, and taxpayers -- for priorities beyond the protection of academic turf and administrators' perks and prerogatives. To those trustees reading this: Be bold and be active. There has never been a time when your institution needed your wisdom so urgently.

Posted by Michael Poliakoff on March 02, 2010 at 06:06 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack