According to the Chronicle, one-fourth of private institutions do business with their trustees’ companies. Potential conflicts of interest involving board members or high-ranking officials certainly are not limited to private colleges, however; North Carolina State University’s termination of Mary Easley and the uncovering of the University of Illinois’ previous board’s interference in the admissions process […]
The Chronicle notes that one fourth of private institutions do business with their trustees’ companies. Further emphasizing the extent of possible conflicts of interest involving high-ranking officials at private institutions, another study (login required) notes that many presidents at US institutions with the largest endowments supplement their salaries with lucrative posts on corporate boards. We […]
There have been several stories in the news lately about colleges with growing enrollments that are planning for campus expansion (including Loyola and New York University), and these stories have highlighted both the importance and challenges of strong town-gown relations during the capital planning process. We asked Mark Beck, director of capital planning at the […]
Recent news has been rife with stories of information technology budgets slashed, and of chief information officers needing to make quick decisions around cuts and resource reallocation. Most recently, Campus Technology reported — in a dramatically titled article, “Campus IT Under the Knife” — that the University of Illinois, owed $431 million by the state government, has […]
A recent feature in The Chronicle detailed how as funds for facilities decrease, more colleges are signing performance contracts with energy services companies (ESCOs); often, an experienced ESCO can implement much needed infrastructure improvements and efficiency projects that are then paid for by energy savings. However, the Chronicle notes several cases in which poorly structured […]
A study just released by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) at Harvard University highlights various attitudes, preferences, and professional desires of young (Generation X) faculty. Among the findings: Most Gen X faculty desire more mentoring and feel that they were inadequately mentored upon first entering their current position Nearly all Gen X faculty desire to participate as […]
The Chronicle‘s Wired Campus blog featured the work of Roger Travis, associate professor of classics and director of the video games and human values initiative at the University of Connecticut, in developing the learning games he has dubbed “practomime.” Relying on roleplaying and narrative storytelling, practomime requires students to complete course tasks and fulfill course […]
In this week’s news, Hamilton College (Clinton, NY) is adopting a “need blind” admissions policy; Hamilton expects over the next four years to add about $2 million to its annual financial aid budget. Initially, that additional expense will be borne by six trustees, who have each pledged $500,000 to seed the need-blind effort, and then […]
CAEL just released a study of the impact of prior learning assessment (PLA) on student learning and academic success, based on findings from 48 colleges and universities. The study found significantly higher graduation and persistence rates among students who earned prior learning credit when compared to non-PLA students, as well as shorter time-to-degree and higher GPA. […]
Assault prevention programs on campus: What works, and what doesn’t? Here is what two leading experts suggest. A report on campus rape compiled by NPR in collaboration with journalists at the Center for Public Integrity concluded that: Colleges almost never expel men who are found responsible for sexual assault The US Department of Education has […]
