Opinion: Page 2

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders


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  • President Speaks: The case for being optimistic about higher education’s future

    Andrew Hsu, leader of the College of Charleston, explains why he remains positive even as colleges face an existential crisis. 

    Andrew Hsu • June 26, 2023
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    SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images
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    The shift to majority contingent faculty is more harmful to tenure than GOP attacks

    Political attacks on tenure won’t matter if it’s effectively eliminated to save money with contingent positions, one professor emeritus argues.

    J.W. Traphagan • June 16, 2023
  • South façade of the Cobb Gate at the University of Chicago.
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    urbsinhorto1837 via Getty Images
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    How liberal arts colleges can make career services a priority

    Creating internships and focusing on short-term experiences has a big impact, the longtime undergraduate dean at the University of Chicago says. 

    John Boyer • June 5, 2023
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    PeopleImages via Getty Images
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    Think twice about outsourcing campus mental health services

    The president of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors urges institutions not to save money by cutting counseling staff.

    Marcus Hotaling • May 30, 2023
  • The sign outside Cedar Crest College.
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    "Cedar Crest College south gate" by CyberXRef is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    President Speaks: Despite shrinking numbers, women’s colleges are more important than ever

    Elizabeth Meade, leader of Cedar Crest College, argues that institutions like hers are needed to provide inclusive environments and drive social mobility. 

    Elizabeth Meade • May 22, 2023
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    Rattankun Thongbun/iStock via Getty Images
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    Politicians as commencement speakers remain a risky proposition

    Dividing the audience with speaker choice can undercut the joy of graduation, says George Mason professor emeritus.

    James Finkelstein • May 15, 2023
  • Miguel Cardona and President Joe Biden
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Show me your budget, I’ll tell you your values

    Education Secretary Miguel Cardona writes that a congressional Republican budget proposal’s education cuts would be “staggeringly reckless.”

    Miguel Cardona • May 8, 2023
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    Bigpra/iStock via Getty Images
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    College governing boards must intensify engagement in challenging times

    Trustees can try these tactics to help guide colleges in new strategic directions.

    Timothy Tracy and Richard Messina • May 1, 2023
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Try these strategies to improve the student experience on campus

    Drawing on past efforts, American University's former provost suggests ways to walk in students' shoes and rebuild processes around their needs.

    Scott Bass • April 24, 2023
  • A graduation cap sits on rows of money.
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    Rawf8 via Getty Images
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    Graduate student stipends in the Midwest are falling behind the rest of the country

    A University of Iowa Ph.D. candidate worries low compensation will make it harder for the region’s universities to draw talent to graduate programs.

    Caleb Klipowicz • April 19, 2023
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    Vacclav/iStock via Getty Images
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    Gainful employment provides the Biden administration an opportunity to advance the ‘good jobs’ agenda

    Education is an invaluable part of a healthy economy, argue policy experts at New America.

    Mary Alice McCarthy and Rachel Fishman • April 17, 2023
  • A young Black woman takes notes while reading a book in a public space.
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    SDI Productions via Getty Images
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    President Speaks: Higher education shouldn’t perpetuate privilege. It should lift up those who would benefit the most.

    Colleges have a moral imperative to help students up the economic ladder, not just promote their rankings, argues the president of CSU Dominguez Hills. 

    Thomas Parham • April 12, 2023
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    Matthew Hatcher via Getty Images
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    Cannibalism as a way to increase enrollment

    Colleges try to boost enrollment by recruiting students from other institutions, but it’s a declining pool, Ricardo Azziz argues.

    Ricardo Azziz • April 7, 2023
  • People hold signs reading "Freedom over fear" and "Parents rights in education."
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    Nathan Howard via Getty Images
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    Higher ed has an important role as communities fight over K-12 education

    Fights over teaching about topics like race, slavery and sexuality might be centered in schools, but they’re affecting universities, one professor writes.

    Barbara Diggs-Brown • April 5, 2023
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    Sean Pavone Photo via Getty Images
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    How colleges can work toward diverse classes if the Supreme Court rules against race-conscious admissions

    Revisit recruiting and retention strategies, two lawyers suggest.

    Jeff Weimer and Cori Smith • April 3, 2023
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Government must act fast to protect students and colleges from Silicon Valley’s economic threat

    Colleges’ increasing dependence on private-sector ed tech firms leaves them open to risk, says the head of the Student Borrower Protection Center.

    Mike Pierce • March 27, 2023
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    How prisons keep student debt relief from those who are incarcerated

    Overcome information deficits so those in prison can access student debt relief, the manager of JSTOR's Access to Prison Education initiative writes.

    Stacy Burnett • March 20, 2023
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    Suchan via Getty Images
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    Walking the free speech tightrope: How to balance competing voices with campus safety

    The chancellor of UC Davis shares lessons learned from leading a diverse university and its new governmental anti-hate partnership.

    Gary S. May • March 15, 2023
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Mergers in higher education are about the students

    Ricardo Azziz is surprised that stakeholders aren’t more willing to compromise in college mergers — especially because stakes are highest for students.

    Ricardo Azziz • March 13, 2023
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    drnadig via Getty Images
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    To aid pandemic recovery, colleges must partner with the government

    The president of New Jersey Institute of Technology argues that university partnerships with government shouldn’t just be reserved for emergencies.

    Teik Lim • March 6, 2023
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    baona/iStock via Getty Images
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    Interim leadership is overlooked. Here are 4 tips on doing it effectively.

    Amy Kristof-Brown became a business school dean after first serving as an interim. A lack of resources for others in similar positions stood out to her.

    Amy Kristof-Brown • Feb. 27, 2023
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    Courtesy of 2U
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    Why private companies are crucial to innovations in online education

    The CEO of 2U, a company that helps colleges run online programs and owns the edX platform, responds to criticism against his sector. 

    Chip Paucek • Feb. 16, 2023
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    Jacob Boomsma/iStock via Getty Images
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    Size matters for surviving the enrollment drop

    The largest colleges have been growing over the last decade, while enrollment shrank elsewhere.

    Ricardo Azziz • Feb. 13, 2023
  • People including Fordham president Tania Tetlow wear academic regalia.
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    Permission granted by Fordham University
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    President Speaks: 10 tips to help shape your presidential voice

    Tania Tetlow, the leader of Fordham University, shares tips for navigating the complexities of speaking out as a college president. 

    Tania Tetlow • Feb. 6, 2023
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    lapandr/iStock via Getty Images
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    DeLauro: For-profit online program management companies are the new predators in higher education

    The ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee calls for an end to OPM tuition sharing based on enrollment.

    Rosa DeLauro • Jan. 31, 2023