Higher Ed Now

Financial pressures and technological innovations all contribute to an unpredictable higher education landscape, but these obstacles can also present opportunities to make a college degree more affordable and accessible. How can should trustees balance the bottom line while keeping their institutions true to their educational missions? The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Senior Reporter and Editor Goldie Blumenstyk shares three decades of journalistic insight on the business of higher education in this episode of Higher Ed Now. From MOOCs to competency-based instruction, Goldie explores the trends shaping the future of colleges across the country. 

Some say the humanities have lost their way. But there is hope for the future. Can developments in the digital humanities bring about a renaissance in the way higher education presents and understands art and culture? Former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, distinguished scholar of art history and comparative literature, author, and former trustee of Indiana University, Bruce Cole joins Higher Ed Now to consider how the health of the humanities can revitalize campus culture and civic engagement.

Even when it isn’t football or basketball season, colleges can be competitive with each other; they compete for grants, students, faculty and top administrators. But does competition cost higher education opportunities to improve student outcomes? Instead of competing, the University Innovation Alliance’s members—eleven of the largest public research universities—are embracing a spirit of data-sharing and cooperation to increase access and success. UIA Executive Director Bridget Burns joins Higher Ed Now to share inspiring stories of schools like Purdue, Arizona State University, and Georgia State. Through innovation and approaches that challenge the conventional wisdom on student success, these universities have become national models for student success and fiscal responsibility. ACTA has recognized UIA as a “blueprint for reform” in its newest guide for trustees, Bold Leadership, Real Reform 2.0, university leaders will learn how to incubate ideas that will benefit the institution and the students it serves.

How's your NCAA March Madness bracket doing? College sports aren't just about the thrill of victory anymore. Over the years, more and more respected college teams have been painted in scandal due to academic dishonesty or even criminal behavior. Syracuse, UNC, and countless other schools have bent the rules or lowered academic standards in order to pursue big wins. ACTA's Vice President of Trustee and Legislative Affairs Armand Alacbay and Research Associate Alexis Zhang join Higher Ed Now to discuss trustees' role in governing athletic departments. Ultimately, colleges must prioritize academic pursuits and ensure their athletes are learning what they need to know for life off the court. 

February is a month brimming with history. David Bruce Smith, founder and president of The Grateful American Foundation, rejoins Higher Ed Now with ACTA President Michael Poliakoff to discuss what’s hitting and what’s missing from the teaching of U.S. history.

Sit down for this exclusive interview with George Washington University President Emeritus Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. From working with individual trustees and large communities to grade inflation and classroom utilization, Steve shares advice for enterprising reformers and budding education leaders. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in working in higher education.

Daniel Pianko, managing director of University Ventures, joins Higher Ed Now to discuss how new education innovation is helping to improve quality and career outcomes and reduce time- and cost-to-degree. With its portfolio companies, University Ventures is nurturing innovations in financing college, advising students, and streamlining the path from graduation to the all-important first job. University Ventures’ unique vantage point as an investment firm that works alongside educational institutions and technology companies provides timely insights into the changing landscape of higher education and gives trustees a peek into creative ways to innovate at their own institutions.

2016 was one for the record books. After a tumultuous twelve months, ACTA President Dr. Michael Poliakoff joins Higher Ed Now to reflect on the successes and milestones of the past year in American higher education. The conversation traces major events in the fight for academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability and how ACTA influenced these vital areas. From a viral report about civic education, to examinations of college finance and administrative spending, to innovating philanthropy in the academy, ACTA set the agenda for university trustees and alumni donors in 2016.

This week, ACTA announced a major expansion of its donor services through the Fund for Academic Renewal (FAR). With FAR, donors will be able to easily and confidently make transformative gifts that promote high academic standards and the study of traditional liberal arts subjects. Dr. Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill joins the show to tell us about all the new services FAR now offers, and how alumni donors can improve higher education for generations to come.

Do you know someone who’s starting the college application process? Then you can’t afford to miss this sneak peek into ACTA’s signature report, What Will They Learn? This alternative to the U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings offers students, parents, and guidance counselors valuable information you won’t find anywhere else. What Will They Learn? is the only college ratings guide that evaluates the educational quality of colleges’ core curricula. ACTA Director of Curricular Improvement and Academic Outreach Eric Bledsoe joins the show to explain what the college rankings DON’T tell you.