Tressie McMillan Cottom’s book, Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy is a powerful contribution to the scholarship of higher education. A sociology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Cottom explains why for-profit higher education is growing, why it is fundamentally flawed, and yet, in today’s economy, why for so many…
Category: Deanspeak
Posts about the wide realm of higher education from a deanly perspective
Haunting Composition
I love the idea of Stephen King teaching high school English. The very image makes me smile. Before King became a successful author, he taught at Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine. King was there for two years, finishing up Carrie and writing to support his young family. Web accounts describe King as a good teacher. I…
Reading, Racism and the L
I wrote the following piece in late July. The violence and hatred from white supremacists over the past weekend at the University of Virginia makes it clear that the battle against racism has to be fought 24/7. We cannot avoid it if we want to live in a just society. Higher education has a great responsibility…
20 Miles and Many Lessons
One of our country’s more shocking statistics is that 20 veterans commit suicide every day. Last year it was worse, with 22 veterans ended their lives by their own hands every day. This public health crisis is frightening, extraordinarily sad, and simply unacceptable. A veteran student told me about the suicide rate and what our local college…
On Stressing College Bound High School Seniors and Their Families
Talked recently with a college-bound high school senior about how they feel about their search and applications to college? I used to approach the exchange with good cheer. Now my queries are more sympathetic than enthusiastic. Students with hopes for admission to strong colleges and universities are stressed, confused, and increasingly ill-served by higher education.…
Reasons for Rebuilding, Re-engineering, or Reforming
At a recent college retreat my leadership team watched Simon Sinek’s TED talk about how great leaders inspire action. It is a good video and like most popular TED talks, it provoked reflection and discussion. We did not, though, sort it all out. I sensed that the key message of the presentation – the importance…
People Mapping: Friends Matter
Sometimes the most basic functions of higher education are missed or ignored. Take, for example, the influence of friendships on college students. We all know that friends matter greatly to the college experience. Talk with a college graduate and more often than not, their best friends for life are college friends. People meet their spouses…