Features
A College Unbound
In 2015, Robert L. Carothers joined the board of College Unbound after stepping down from serving as the president at the University of Rhode Island for 18 years. Most of the students came thinking of themselves as having failed, he writes, but College Unbound “taught them to reframe failure and to see that their lives had been about learning, even if they could not see it.”
A Unique Experiment in Serving the Educationally Underserved
David A. Bergeron, senior fellow for postsecondary education policy at the Center for American Progress and formerly of the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, considers how College Unbound works to reconcile the goal of greater access for older adults with the lack of meaningful outcomes.
A College Unbound: Cohorts, Educational Trauma, and Micromodels as Catalysts for Innovation
The highly nontraditional model of College Unbound—a unique institution designed for low-income adults who have started college but not finished—presented regional accreditors with a challenge. Louis Soares and Ursula Gross look at the tensions between innovation and accreditation that such institutions present—and how they can be overcome.
Involuntary Withdrawal Policies: No Room for Mental Health Stereotypes in a Fair Process
Recent developments on campus have highlighted the importance of comprehensive, transparent involuntary withdrawal policies for students who pose a risk of self-harm. Attorney Amy C. Foerster discusses what higher education institutions should consider and how to incorporate principles established by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
It Begins with Difficult Conversations: How Community College Leaders Can Support Faculty-led Student Success Efforts
If community colleges want to make a difference in student persistence and attainment—and to make the improvement sustainable over time—these efforts must be led by those on campus who have the most frequent contact with students: the faculty. Carrie B. Kisker, a director of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges, looks at where to begin.
The 5 Percent: Action Steps for Institutions Investing in Women of Color
The face of the college presidency has changed in recent years, moving slowly away from the monolithic profile of the past (White men over the age of 60) to something more representative of the face of colleges and universities themselves.
The Harvard Admissions Case: Reactions to the Judge’s Ruling
ACE Vice President and General Counsel Peter G. McDonough talks with four experts on diversity in admissions policy about the recent district court decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard.
Better Teaching, Better Institutions
Teaching and learning aren’t just at the heart of higher education—they drive the institution. ACE Senior Vice President Philip Rogers looks at ACE’s partnership with the Association of College and University Educators, whose courses on comprehensive teaching methods helps faculty become more effective educators.
Developing Deans and Chairs as Leaders
Chief academic officers Kathy E. Johnson and Mary K. Boyd write that the key to transforming the academic enterprise is cultivating a team of capable leaders committed to aligning their program or school with the institution’s mission and priorities.
Education Department Does the Right Thing in Reimbursing Colleges for Canceled Perkins Loans
It was a long-running federal public policy question that could have ended badly for many colleges and universities. Were they going to owe tens of millions of dollars to the Treasury as the Department of Education wound down the now-defunct Perkins Loan program? Happily, the answer is no
Are More Colleges Closing? (Spoiler Alert: Probably Not)
There is no doubt that colleges and universities in demographically challenged states are facing serious headwinds. Yet, stories suggesting that colleges are closing more frequently than they did before don’t withstand a careful examination of the data.
New Tuition Model at Hiram College Offers Educational, Career, and Financial Benefits
Calls for U.S. colleges and universities to develop more relevant curricula, pave the college-to-career pathway, and offer affordable degrees are growing in strength and number. President Lori Varlotta discusses the latest innovations at Hiram College to respond to these needs.