This article picks up on columnist Mike Barnicle's lazy style and "I was just thinking" format in his column for the "Boston Globe." Using that model, John Harney shares a few of his thoughts on various education topics such as co ops, "competency-based education," and making civics part of the curriculum at…

This article presents a sampler of notable developments in the world of higher education. Among them are: (1) At the University of Southern Maine, faculty leaders and President Theo Kalikow are working together to address the challenges that stand in the way of economic sustainability. In the spring, after announcing a plan to fire a dozen tenured…

More than 250 higher education leaders from campuses across the U.S. met last week in Boston for the 2014 Presidential Summit on Climate Leadership. The summit was organized by Second Nature, the supporting organization for the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Almost 700 colleges and universities have…

The recent midterm elections brought New England two new governors. Rhode Island elected its first woman chief executive in Gina Raimondo (D). Massachusetts elected Charlie Baker (R), a former Harvard Pilgrim CEO and official in the Weld and Cellucci administrations. Otherwise, the New England corner offices cautiously welcomed back incumbents:…

For some small colleges, just the sight of the school's branded team bus traveling to road games can nail a marketing extra point. And television deals bring big bucks to major football programs. But for the most part, spending on college athletics drains money from campuses still bruised by recession and, as faculty critics charge, tends to sack…

For more than half a century, the "New England Journal of Higher Education" ("NEJHE") has been publishing tables and charts exploring "Trends & Indicators" (T&I) in New England's demography, high school performance and graduation, college enrollment, college graduation rates and degree production, higher education financing and university…

Two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, killing three and injuring more than 260. The pressure-cooker bombs sent shrapnel at leg-level, leading to amputations for 15 victims. An immediate concern was how to deal with the feelings of school children whose sense of safety was shattered by the blasts. As the city healed, Boston…

Why is "remedial" or "developmental" education such a hot issue? Partly because it costs time and money and casts doubt on the elementary and secondary education systems that we assume will prepare students for college. The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) explored solutions to the problem at a recent forum in Kennebunkport, Maine,…

Innovators and entrepreneurs are using technologies to make freely available the things for which universities charge significant money. MOOCs (massive open online courses), free online courses, lecture podcasts, low-cost off-the-shelf general education courses, online tutorials, digital collections of open learning resources, open badges--all are…

New England universities performed more than $4 billion worth of research and development (R&D) in 2009, but the region's share of total R&D performed by all U.S. universities remained at 7.3%, down from more than 10% in the 1980s. The region's university research labs have been world-famous for ideas that breed companies and whole industries in…

Since New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) began publishing tables and charts exploring "Trends & Indicators" in New England higher education more than a half-century ago, few figures have grabbed as much attention as college "enrollment" data. These local, state, regional and national data go beyond simple headcounts of students going to…

New England's college- and university-based arts programs feed both the imagination and the economy. The region has 5% of the nation's population, but awards arts and music degrees to 8% of the nation's graduates, garners 7% of National Endowment for the Arts funding, supports over 1000 commercial arts-oriented businesses, and 10,000 nonprofit…

Problems in media coverage of higher education in New England are examined, noting high turnover in journalists covering colleges and universities and journalists' lack of time to visit campuses. What coverage there is appears to be focused heavily on a few prestigious institutions and state colleges where news is easily gathered from bureaucrats…

Examines the economic health of New England's approximately 260 higher education institutions using six indicators: enrollment (foreign students/total enrollments by institution type); state support of higher education; private support of higher education; student financial aid; research and development; and library holdings. Offers overviews and…

Issues in the financing of higher education are discussed, including concern about rapidly increasing student debt, the decline in state student financial aid, rising student costs, college presidents' assessment of the damage in various areas of college operations caused by these changes, and predicted legislative response. Issues are considered…