NACUBO In Brief

The recent government shutdown had a significant impact on our nation's research institutions. Jennifer Poulakidas of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities joins Megan Schneider to discuss the broader implications of the shutdown on research and higher education.

Peter Smith has been an institution in global higher education issues for the better part of 50 years. In his latest book, Free Range Learning in the Digital Age: The Emerging Revolution in College, Career, and Education, Dr. Smith uses evidence across the education ecosystem to document the unimaginable transformation occurring that challenges some of the common mythology in our field. For Smith, this book is about the end of knowledge discrimination, that education is often judged not on what you learn, but where you learned it. The end of this knowledge penalty comes with tectonic shifts in technology and access, no matter where that access is offered.

Links & Notes

• About Peter Smith — Open Education Consortium
• Free Range Learning in the Digital Age: The Emerging Revolution in College, Career, and Education by Peter Smith — Amazon.com

NACUBO assistant director of research and policy analysis Lindsay Wayt joins us today to share the latest results from the NACUBO 2017 Tuition Discounting Study, measuring the trends and strategies employed around tuition discounting across our member institutions. This week on NACUBO In Brief, Lindsay offers valuable background on the methodology underlying the report, along with some surprising trends that might impact your own institutions and your decisions around tuition discounting.

NACUBO assistant directors of research and policy analysis Lesley McBain and Lindsay Wayt join us today to share new NACUBO research, a new paper in the NACUBO Perspectives Series, addressing the relationship between tuition discounting and access and affordability for underrepresented minority students.

This paper examines whether increasing tuition discount rates between 2011 and 2015 was associated with an increase in the enrollment of underrepresented minority students. Findings indicate that institutions that increased their tuition discount rates the most had above-average increases in their proportions of undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds. Listen in for additional findings and background on the study and its relationship to the broader NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study today!

Links & Notes

• Download Tuition Discounting and College Access for Underrepresented Students

For over 40 years, NACUBO has conducted a study on institutional endowments designed to answer key questions in how these financial tools are used. Over the years, this has become the largest study of its kind, offering a comprehensive set of data for policy-makers, parents, students, and the broader community in how their institutions are using endowed funds.

This week, NACUBO's senior director of research and policy analysis, Ken Redd, joins us to report findings in the 2017 report. If you remember Ken's report on this show from last year at about this time, things have changed — and not always for the better. In the short term, the strong market has impacted short-term performance is a positive way. However, analysts watching the 10-year trends are not seeing such rosy news. Plus, the changes coming next year with the implementation of the nation's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, there are significant concerns that donors will find a disincentive to donate at typical rates — and there are discouraging forecasts to back up those concerns.

The Republican party's framework for tax reform appears to be moving quickly — and rather quietly — toward a bill. The framework itself is quite high-level at this point, but there are a few key areas that will absolutely impact higher ed institutions. According to Liz Clark, NACUBO's director of federal affairs, more detail is likely coming which should clear up some of the vagaries in the framework as it exists today, but that detail will likely come with a very short window for analysis before it heads to a vote. Liz joins us on the show today to help us understand specific areas of concern and offers guidance for beginning the dialog in your institution now, so that you're not caught off guard as the pace of this legislation picks up!

Consumers may have heard about Net Neutrality in recent weeks as Internet companies have made their positions clear across our favorite websites. But do you know how the fight for a fair and open Internet is poised to impact higher ed? Megan Schneider, Assistant Director of Federal Affairs for NACUBO, and Jarret Cummings, Director of Policy and Government Relations for EDUCAUSE, join us today to highlight the current policy and technology landscape surrounding Net Neutrality and the actions each organization is taking in support of Net Neutrality positions.

NACUBO assistant directors of research and policy analysis Lesley McBain and Lindsay Wayt join us today to share the latest results from the NACUBO 2016 Tuition Discounting Study, measuring the trends and strategies employed around tuition discounting across our member institutions. This week on NACUBO In Brief, Lesley and Lindsay offer valuable background on the report, and share their unique insights on the state of discounting as custodians of this report.

Shared Services encompasses the web of possible partnerships between departments, divisions, and even across institutions that share resources to improve efficiency and decrease costs, and relieve pressure on tuition. For a small institution, streamlining processes and finding internal efficiencies is no longer enough. Forming shared services partnerships is a critical path to financial success according to our guest today.

This week on NACUBO In Brief, Augsburg College Chief Financial Officer Beth Reissenweber joins us to share her experience creating and implementing shared services at her institution. A successful information technology partnership has led to a more robust shared ERP system designed to improve student service, efficiency, and save money along the way.

It's early days in the new administration, but lawmakers have been all too public about their interests in legislation that could dramatically impact charitable giving. What will that mean to endowments, scholarships, and academic service?

This week on NACUBO In Brief, Dickinson College's Dr. Brontè Jones and NACUBO Federal Affairs Director Liz Clark set the stage for what is sure to be a rigorous debate in Washington, and how the potential outcome may be cause for concern at your institution.