Staying abreast of developments in Chinese higher education is challenging. In addition to geopolitical circumstances, language, history, and culture can make it difficult for U.S. university leaders and policy makers to establish deep, meaningful relationships with Chinese colleagues. In addition, China is a huge country, with nuanced regional…

After two centuries of public higher education in the United States, the covenant between public colleges and universities and the public that created and funded them is under strain. In a time of scarce resources and changing policy in many corners of the country and around the globe, privatization has emerged as a possible replacement for the…

This article begins by observing that foundations come in all shapes and sizes. The mission and grant-making philosophy of any foundation are determined by an unscientific mixture of its history, changing external realities, and leaders. The article then continues by describing The Teagle Foundation, a small, philanthropic organization with about…

With the cost of higher education steadily increasing, many people are wondering what, if anything, students are learning on college campuses. In this environment, colleges are facing pressure to make information about what their students learn available to a range of stakeholders, including students and their parents, policymakers, and the…

This study focuses on aspects of the Changing Academic Profession survey of 2007-08 that describe the place of faculty in their institutions. The authors examine the following aspects of institutional life: (1) the faculty role in institutional governance; (2) who evaluates their teaching and research; (3) the locus of their loyalties as between…

A growing majority of today's college-goers are adult students, and the economic and cultural trends driving this growth are here for the long term. In some respects this is good news: Adult undergraduate students tend to earn higher GPAs and have better aptitude and psychosocial scores than do traditional-aged students. Unfortunately, adult…

After a year of public hearings and not-so-private debate, the National Commission on the Future of Higher Education last year proposed six sweeping recommendations to improve "the less than inspiring realities of postsecondary education" in the United States ("A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher…

The University of Phoenix is a unique institution, and its presence has certainly influenced postsecondary education. It has played a significant role in the recognition and accreditation of institutions with campuses in many states, and its accelerated, career-oriented programs represent a real innovation in teaching working adults. From a policy…