We’ve all seen a lot about student debt of late: the massive numbers, and the challenges that students and their families face. It’s on television, the web, traditional media and in our collective zeitgeist. Student debt is everywhere – and it is poorly understood. A recent book does a fantastic job shining a light on…
Author: David Potash
Men of Color and the Community College
When higher education thinks about better and best practices in supporting student completion, the academy knows what moves the needle. High impact practices, such as learning communities and writing-intensive courses, always help. Strong academic and student services supports always make a difference. For students of lesser means, enhanced financial support and wrap-around can aid retention…
The Great Mistake?
Sometimes things don’t work out because they are difficult or complicated. Sometimes they fail because of error or mistakes. And sometimes they don’t succeed because there isn’t interest or support. Christopher Newfield is a professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a leading scholar of universities. He oversees a really interesting…
Janesville: Tragedy of a Different Sort
Classic tragedy follows a set structure: a hero advances and is then brought to ruin through a tragic flaw. For those of us in the audience, we witness, we engage, and we learn. But when it comes to an economic tragedy, with its heartache, sorrow, and all manner of challenges and conflict, the rules of…
Community College PR
Tom Snyder retired from the presidency of Ivy Tech, Indiana’s only public community college, in 2016. He led the statewide institution for nine years, seeing it grow in enrollment and scope. Snyder was an outsider to higher education when he took the position. Before he was chairman/CEO of Delco Remy, an automotive parts supplier, and…
The Limits of Re-imagining the University
Robert J. Sternberg is a well-known, much-honored and well-publicized psychology professor who over a long career has held a host of important administrative positions: president, provost, dean, and director. He served as president of the American Psychology Association, the Eastern Psychology Association, the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and the International Association…
Alumnihood and Community Colleges
My community college and our larger system recently embarked on an effort to strengthen relationships with alumni. It is an exciting endeavor. It is also very interesting effort, especially when we think about alumni organizations in comparison to what four-year institutions usually do. Alumni professionals report that graduates usually join alumni organizations for networking, for…