A deeper understanding of how slavery and colonialism fundamentally shaped the system of higher education in the United States has led colleges and universities to reexamine their histories and acknowledge harms committed and the need for repair. Campuses are experimenting with how to address racial justice and healing for faculty, staff, and…

In this article, the authors posit that generative artificial intelligence offers universities an opportunity to make long-needed structural changes in teaching and learning. Given the complexities of generative AI, faculty need time and resources to learn to use it effectively and to adapt classes in ways that help students approach AI ethically…

Using their own experience of war as a backdrop, the author explores how trauma shatters an individual's foundational beliefs, leaving them grappling with questions about their own worth and the inherent goodness of humanity. The discussion moves from personal to collective trauma, examining the profound betrayal felt by Black scientists in…

In today's higher education landscape, there are numerous conflicting pressures that influence how the mix of academic programs institutions choose to offer will evolve. This article describes: (1) The need to understand better how institutions' program arrays are evolving over time in the face of a variety of student, workforce, competitive,…

Changing student demographics, COVID-19 ramifications, and political pressures all underscore the need for organizational change sooner rather than later. While higher education has successfully resolved a number of challenges, it continues to be stymied by areas where needed change has not materialized. Even after repeated efforts, these changes…

Higher education is in a moment of systemic crisis; the next 20 years will bring significant change, but the nature of that change is still up for grabs. Higher education also contains wellsprings of creativity and innovation in support of engaged, equitable, holistic learning, but these are siloed and piecemeal. Positive, systemic change is…

In this article, the author discusses the mechanisms of isomorphism through three examples of organizational actions for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in doctoral education: (1) eliminating Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirements; (2) adopting bridge programs; and (3) reforming doctoral qualifying exams. Although these actions were…

Academics in Western universities, especially those in the United States, are frequently called on to serve as quality gatekeepers in other higher education systems. International opportunities for service to the profession can take many forms, ranging from program reviews to expert consultations, and they constitute a great opportunity to learn…

Researchers have developed the concept of organizational stupidity to explain why some organizations lack the ability or willingness to create and use knowledge resources. Indicators of organizational stupidity include a lack of reflexivity, failure to provide justifications for decisions and actions, and avoidance of substantive reasoning. The…

In recent decades, education leaders and researchers have increasingly sought to disaggregate key higher education outcome data--graduation rates, attainment, employment, and income--by race and ethnicity in order to uncover and narrow equity gaps. The same is true, recently, for affordability, especially as it relates to the differential impact…

Cross-border American higher education is often conflated with international branch campuses. But there are other institutional forms, such as microcampuses, international joint universities, and independent universities. The different forms developed at different times with different missions and serve different roles. Reflecting on their…

Based on working with the Boyer 2030 Commission and strategizing around its focus on the equity/excellence imperative, the author argues that the main impediments for change in U.S. research universities are phenomenological in nature; that is, having to do with the way systems of meaning are structured and experienced. The author argues that U.S.…

An honest reckoning must begin with acknowledging that historically marginalized groups, including women, do not exist in a neutral leadership space, and sporadic movements are not sufficient to bring about change. Leaders who emerge from marginalized spaces have learned how to navigate against the odds, often using defiance, and employ leadership…

Higher education is responding to the climate emergency through disaster preparedness, climate research, and carbon-neutral pledges, but the sector is failing to prepare students for likely disruptions and changes in their future careers and lives. While curriculum on climate science and information about "green" jobs are important…

Much has been written of late regarding the effects on higher education of the shifting demographics in the United States. Many writers seem to focus on colleges that are closing because the shrinking number of 18- to 24-year-olds means declining enrollments. The authors of this article would like to focus on some positive actions and strategies…