Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 804
Book Description
The Condition of Education
Author: The Business of Higher Education
Author: John C. Knapp Ph.D.Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313353514
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 969
Book Description
At a time of great economic uncertainty, The Business of Higher Education looks at the pros and cons of colleges and universities taking a more business-like approach to fulfilling their missions. How can colleges and universities navigate their way between shrinking commitments and the increasing expectations of their students? Does the answer lie in taking a more business-like approach? This extraordinary resource considers the costs and benefits to both public and private institutions and to society when academe embraces business models for improving cost-efficiency, marketing, hiring practices, and customer service. Bringing together a diverse team of contributors from the academic and business worlds, The Business of Higher Education offers 35 essays in three volumes. The first volume explores issues of leadership and culture, the second focuses on management and fiscal strategies, and the third volume takes up issues of marketing and consumer interests. Throughout, the work balances the contrasting perspectives of those within the academy and those outside of it, as it considers whether higher education and the public interest are ultimately helped or harmed by the application of business methods to essential academic functions.
Understanding the Working College Student
Author: Laura W. PernaPublisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000978753
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
How appropriate for today and for the future are the policies and practices of higher education that largely assume a norm of traditional-age students with minimal on-campus, or no, work commitments?Despite the fact that work is a fundamental part of life for nearly half of all undergraduate students – with a substantial number of “traditional” dependent undergraduates in employment, and working independent undergraduates averaging 34.5 hours per week – little attention has been given to how working influences the integration and engagement experiences of students who work, especially those who work full-time, or how the benefits and costs of working differ between traditional age-students and adult students.The high, and increasing, prevalence and intensity of working among both dependent and independent students raises a number of important questions for public policymakers, college administrators, faculty, academic advisors, student services and financial aid staff, and institutional and educational researchers, including: Why do so many college students work so many hours? What are the characteristics of undergraduates who work? What are the implications of working for students’ educational experiences and outcomes? And, how can public and institutional policymakers promote the educational success of undergraduate students who work? This book offers the most complete and comprehensive conceptualization of the “working college student” available. It provides a multi-faceted picture of the characteristics, experiences, and challenges of working college students and a more complete understanding of the heterogeneity underlying the label “undergraduates who work” and the implications of working for undergraduate students’ educational experiences and outcomes. The volume stresses the importance of recognizing the value and contribution of adult learners to higher education, and takes issue with the appropriateness of the term “non-traditional” itself, both because of the prevalence of this group, and because it allows higher education institutions to avoid considering changes that will meet the needs of this population, including changes in course offerings, course scheduling, financial aid, and pedagogy.
Making College Work
Author: Harry J. HolzerPublisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 0815730225
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 163
Book Description
Practical solutions for improving higher education opportunities for disadvantaged students Too many disadvantaged college students in America do not complete their coursework or receive any college credential, while others earn degrees or certificates with little labor market value. Large numbers of these students also struggle to pay for college, and some incur debts that they have difficulty repaying. The authors provide a new review of the causes of these problems and offer promising policy solutions. The circumstances affecting disadvantaged students stem both from issues on the individual side, such as weak academic preparation and financial pressures, and from institutional failures. Low-income students disproportionately attend schools that are underfunded and have weak performance incentives, contributing to unsatisfactory outcomes for many students. Some solutions, including better financial aid or academic supports, target individual students. Other solutions, such as stronger linkages between coursework and the labor market and more structured paths through the curriculum, are aimed at institutional reforms. All students, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, also need better and varied pathways both to college and directly to the job market, beginning in high school. We can improve college outcomes, but must also acknowledge that we must make hard choices and face difficult tradeoffs in the process. While no single policy is guaranteed to greatly improve college and career outcomes, implementing a number of evidence-based policies and programs together has the potential to improve these outcomes substantially.
Crossing the Finish Line
Author: William G. BowenPublisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400831466
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 414
Book Description
Why so many of America's public university students are not graduating—and what to do about it The United States has long been a model for accessible, affordable education, as exemplified by the country's public universities. And yet less than 60 percent of the students entering American universities today are graduating. Why is this happening, and what can be done? Crossing the Finish Line provides the most detailed exploration ever of college completion at America's public universities. This groundbreaking book sheds light on such serious issues as dropout rates linked to race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Probing graduation rates at twenty-one flagship public universities and four statewide systems of public higher education, the authors focus on the progress of students in the entering class of 1999—from entry to graduation, transfer, or withdrawal. They examine the effects of parental education, family income, race and gender, high school grades, test scores, financial aid, and characteristics of universities attended (especially their selectivity). The conclusions are compelling: minority students and students from poor families have markedly lower graduation rates—and take longer to earn degrees—even when other variables are taken into account. Noting the strong performance of transfer students and the effects of financial constraints on student retention, the authors call for improved transfer and financial aid policies, and suggest ways of improving the sorting processes that match students to institutions. An outstanding combination of evidence and analysis, Crossing the Finish Line should be read by everyone who cares about the nation's higher education system.
Organization and Administration in Higher Education
Author: Patrick J. SchlossPublisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136730451
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
Efficiency, focus, and accountability have become the defining standards for contemporary higher educational leaders. Situating strategic planning and budgeting within the organization and administration of higher education institutions, Organization and Administration in Higher Education provides effective and proven strategies for today’s change-oriented leaders. Bringing together distinguished administrators from two-year, four-year, public, and private colleges and universities, this volume provide both practical and effective guidance on the intricacies of the institutional structure, its functional activities, and contingency planning. Coverage includes: Key leadership positions and expectations Faculty and student governance Accreditation and assessment Budget processes Curriculum alignment Philanthropic efforts Human resource development Legal considerations Strategic planning Crisis management Effective planning and administration can elevate an institution in critical ways, by enhancing recruitment and retention, strengthening student life, increasing outside support and private giving, and advancing a reputation for excellence. This practical and authoritative guide orients future and current administrators to the major areas of an academic institution and will assist higher education administrators in leading their institutions to excellence.
Higher Education Outcomes Assessment for the Twenty-First Century
Author: Peter HernonPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1610692756
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 271
Book Description
This book discusses recent trends in outcomes assessment, examines how state governments are reshaping the national discussion with higher education, and explains how libraries must respond to these changes. Higher Education Outcomes Assessment for the Twenty-first Century focuses on recent developments in outcomes assessment, especially from the perspectives of the federal government and state governments, as well as foundations concerned about the state of higher education. The authors identify the significant changes that these stakeholders call for—information that academic librarians and anyone following outcomes assessment need to be aware of—and interpret the discussions to identify implications for libraries. Building upon the foundation of knowledge presented in the previous two Libraries Unlimited Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education titles, this book provides readers with up-to-date coverage of topics such as the emerging metrics used to define student and institutional success; the increased importance of accountability and the need to compare and assess the performance of programs and institutions rather than individual courses; and the shift in prioritizing student outcomes over student learning outcomes. The authors also spotlight the critical need for libraries to fit their role within the national discussion and suggest ways in which library managers and directors can play a role in redirecting the discussion to their benefit.
Beyond Free College
Author: Eileen L. StrempelPublisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475848668
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 183
Book Description
Beyond Free College outlines an audacious national agenda—consistent with, but far more comprehensive than, the current “free college” movement—that builds on the best of US higher education’s populist history such as the G.I. Bill and the community college transfer function. The authors align a wide constellation of higher education trends—online learning, prior learning assessment, competency-based learning, high school college-credit— with a rapidly shifting student transfer environment that privileges college credit as the pivotal educational catalyst to boost access and completion. The book’s agenda seeks greater productive investment in postsecondary education by privileging a single metric—lower-cost-per-degree-granted—as the animating driver of a transfer pathway that will fulfill the potential of its historical, progressive innovators. Beyond Free College’s goal is as simple as it is urgent: To galvanize higher education advocates in an effort to reorganize, reorient, and reignite the transfer function to serve the needs of a neotraditional student population that now constitutes the majority of college-goers in America; and in ways that advance completion, not just access to higher education.
Creating an Opportunity Society
Author: Ron HaskinsPublisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0815703937
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 367
Book Description
Americans believe economic opportunity is as fundamental a right as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. More concerned about a level playing field for all, they worry less about the growing income and wealth disparity in our country. Creating an Opportunity Society examines economic opportunity in the United States and explores how to create more of it, particularly for those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill propose a concrete agenda for increasing opportunity that is cost effective, consistent with American values, and focuses on improving the lives of the young and the disadvantaged. They emphasize individual responsibility as an indispensable basis for successful policies and programs. The authors recommend a three-pronged approach to create more opportunity in America: • Increase education for children and youth at the preschool, K–12, and postsecondary levels • Encourage and support work among adults • Reduce the number of out-of-wedlock births while increasing the share of children reared by their married parents With concern for the federal deficit in mind, Haskins and Sawhill argue for reallocating existing resources, especially from the affluent elderly to disadvantaged children and their families. The authors are optimistic that a judicious use of the nation's resources can level the playing field and produce more opportunity for all. Creating an Opportunity Society offers the most complete summary available of the facts and the factors that contribute to economic opportunity. It looks at the poor, the middle class, and the rich, providing deep background data on how each group has fared in recent decades. Unfortunately, only the rich have made substantial progress, making this book a timely guide forward for anyone interested in what we can do as a society to improve the prospects for our less-advantaged families and fellow citizens.
The Rising Costs of Higher Education
Author: John R. ThelinPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1610691725
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 393
Book Description
Providing a clear, logical guide to an illogical topic, this book provides an easy-to-understand guide for anyone who wants to successfully navigate the labyrinth of going to college—and paying for the experience. 100 years ago, college tuition at prestigious Ivy League colleges such as Harvard and Brown was about $130 per year. Even when adjusted for inflation, today's cost of higher education has increased dramatically—to the point where a college education is shifting further out of reach for many Americans. This book explains the essential concepts in the debate regarding the staggering costs of higher education, supplying ten original essays by higher education policy experts, a lively historical narrative that provides context to current issues, and systematic guides to finding additional sources of information on the subject. Written from a historian's point of view, The Rising Costs of Higher Education: A Reference Handbook explains the economics of higher education in a manner that encourages readers to participate in the discussion on how to control ever-increasing tuition costs. Both college-bound students and parents will come to appreciate how complicated the problem of paying for college is, and grasp the crucial differences between "cost" and "price" in the specific economics of colleges and universities.