Academic Affairs

Many of America’s scientific and technological advancements are developed through academic research at colleges and universities across the nation. Institutional research has historically been included in the mission of higher education and continues to benefit the academic enterprise as well …

Too often, people see commitments to affordability, quality, and equity in postsecondary education as competing rather than reinforcing. The nation’s future and the future of our institutions—and public confidence in them—require higher education leaders to advance these commitments together. The urgent …

Ensuring a high-quality academic experience for all students depends on a board that understands its responsibilities with respect to the stewardship of an institution’s academic mission. Boards of trustees are tasked with multiple, demanding areas of oversight: enrollment, athletics, risk management, …

Innovation in higher education is positively influencing student learning outcomes. More institutions are providing students with academic, financial, logistical, and social support to ease their transition to and through college. This guidance has been especially useful when there are hurtles that …

Both the increased scrutiny placed on accreditation and the recent changes made to it demand that boards understand their roles and responsibilities related to the process. Trusteeship spoke with Mary Ellen Petrisko, president of the WASC Senior College and University …

Over the last generation or so, the process or revising general education— the path of courses every student must take regardless of major—has proven dispiriting and divisive on many campuses. Departments, feeling trapped in a zero-sum game for students and …

Trusteeship asked Kevin P. Reilly, president emeritus and Regent Professor at the University of Wisconsin System, about his work with a new national teacher training and credentialing program, and why it’s so important that boards understand what good teaching is …

Five decades ago, university curriculums were highly structured. Faculty created and selected the most appropriate courses. They carefully defined prerequisites, prescribed the depth and breadth of inquiry, and expected outcomes. University administrators started with the essential courses and built from …

We asked Mary Dana Hinton, president of the College of Saint Benedict and an advocate for the liberal arts, about their role in 21st-century education. This summer, the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University will host Liberal Arts …

What will it take for a college or university to be sustainable in the 21st century so that its vitally important work can benefit the nation in a time of high need? What should presidents and board members be thinking …