Third in a series on philanthropy in higher education In 2020, according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education, nearly $50 billion flowed into University coffers. Over half of all giving, 55.5%, came from foundations (43% wereā¦
Fourth in a series on student educational debt. Upon completing baccalaureate and professional degrees, student indebtedness varies markedly across various races, ethnic groups, family income levels, whether or not students are first-in-family to attend college and the geographic region orā¦
The 24-hour news circuitry is alive with concerns about COVID-19, its impact on people and the economic crater left in its wake. No segment of the American economy or enterprise, the faith life of Americans, or any other aspect ofā¦
Universities face issues spawned during the past half-century that will cripple effectiveness if unaddressed. The standing and ranking perception of campuses will always be important. The best campuses will attend to excellence in teaching and scholarly work, affordability and rigorousā¦
The birthrate in America has been on the decline. In 2016, with slightly less than 60 births per 1000 women, a historic low was realized. This marks universities. Those most affected by decreasing birthrates will be regional campuses like Westā¦
Funding for higher education is down over 20% in a few decades and continues to decrease. Institutional philanthropy designed to add dimensions of excellence to university life in support of students or simply to sustain steady quality is required. Impactā¦
If five people go into the same Ford dealership and buy an F150, each will pay a different price. The cost of the new vehicle will be determined by the buyerās ability to negotiate, the salesperson, color, options, trade-in, interestā¦
image from o-MONEY-facebook.jpg-photos Universities endeavor to transfer the burden of blame to bankers and politicians. Sallie Mae holds almost $200 billion dollars of the debt. Like the housing bubble, much of the student debt problem involves politically driven, unsecured, uncheckedā¦
This reflection was originally published on December 15, 2008.Ā It is worth a second look. Christmas memories are personal, deep and important for me. My familyās New York Christmases with the strong, first generational, influence of Western Europe; Cajun Christmasesā¦
The idea of colleges raising tuition based on the willingness of families to pay is poorly conceived. Cost and quality must fit together. Any other viewpoint is wrong academically. And equally important, it makes bad business: It may work, butā¦
No two universities are the same. No university was the same last year as it will be next year. Ditto for students. “The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each timeā¦
College costs are escalating for a number of reasons, but first among them is that there are resources available to pay for increases. Even that great baby-boomer sage, The Beaver, got it – Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver: I could use myā¦
Geraldine Fabricant of The New York Times reports in a November 15th story, āAs Donors Retrench, Challenges for Universitiesā, that university fundraising efforts may be in for tough times. In 2009, donations fell by almost 12% nationally.Ā Most unfortunate inā¦
The tone and content of messages promulgated by the university during stringent financial times are critical.Ā Mila Kopumpilova reported in the St. Paul Pioneer Press that over $415,000 in bonuses were paid to executives at Minnesota state colleges and universitiesā¦
Leadership is primarily a fiduciary action. A fiduciary is charged with giving priority to the interests of others over self in a way that engenders and protects trust. Frequently the idea is associated with fiscal affairs and legal perspectives.Ā Surelyā¦
Second in a series on integrity. This is not about double dipping as was reported last week in the Seattle Times; lavish trips to distant lands under the guise of recruiting additional students; fancy offices and luxury cars; incessantly increasingā¦
People donāt like the concept of downsizing.Ā A few years ago management experts were talking about āright-sizingā as an alternative concept. Organizations always serve best when they serve most efficiently. One way to create efficiency is to make sure thatā¦
Not one stone will remain unturned in a nationwide effort to reduce operating costs, tuition and fees over the next few years for all public and private universities.Ā American ingenuity coupled with a deep, abiding pragmatism suggests this crisis ofā¦
In any organization, when times are tough, there is a natural tendency for people to find someone, or something, to blame.Ā I used to work with a fellow who taught juniors in the program.Ā He always complained about the qualityā¦
Universities across the nation are facing some of the toughest times imaginable. In Atlanta, Georgia Tech is talking about cutting research according to Jim Kirk, the budget director.Ā Cut research at Georgia Tech?Ā The place may be losing its way.Ā ā¦
High quality at low cost is the desire of every organization known, even in communist and socialist societies.Ā The willingness to take the action to keep costs low and quality high is rare.Ā Capitalismās inelastic bedrock is simply this: peopleā¦
Universities all over the United States are wrestling with budget challenges unequaled since the early eighties.Ā There is a tendency in times like these to say, āWhat can we do differently?ā or āHow can we stay afloat?ā Answers outside theā¦
Ā I recently had the opportunity to attend a reception in Chicago at the Museum of Contemporary Arts.Ā It was an alumni event to celebrate the life and work of R. Buckminster Fuller.Ā Fuller was a remarkable man by anyā¦
For all of the bad news about Illinois politicians and their appointees, pay for play, rigged bidding and contract decision making, favoritism, patronage, back room dealing, sinecure, influence peddling, and plain old back scratching, I have become very fond ofā¦
The most powerful stimulus ever invented, used for good and evil since the beginning of time, and producing both astoundingly positive results and the greatest tragedies in human history, creating vast wealth and pervasive poverty, leading to fulfillment or failure,ā¦
As the eternal optimist, I have pondered the lessons available from watching the national response to the economic challenges that we face, and how some instruction or, should providence smile on us, some wisdom might be valuable for our university.Ā ā¦
I have previously commented on the various ways that families can reduce the cost of attending university.Ā In my own case, I attended a community college and completed my AAS degree earning 70 hoursā¦ almost all of which transferred toā¦
It is that season of the year, when the smell of turkey and Christmas tress is in the air.Ā It is that time of year when finals occur.Ā I really have never liked to think of final exams as final.Ā ā¦
When Mary and I go out to eat we always decide where we are going before we leave.Ā Sometimes we even talk about it on the phone before I get to the house.Ā In other words, this is not aā¦
In different settings people use the phrase ātwo sides of the houseā. Ā Ā When you hear this relative to a university the subject is the idea that there are academic issues, and everything else is āthe other side ofā¦
In places of worship we often think about the importance of lay leadership. No matter how powerful the spiritual leader, how driven by God, how adroit at understanding the business of the organization, how gifted in dealing with people helpingā¦
Work is a four letter word, but not the kind our mothers and fathers used to scold us for using. The people of Southern Illinois are not afraid to work. Hard work will always produce results and fruit does notā¦
You may have heard the old adage; the value of real estate is determined by three factors, location, location, and location. Here is a twist as we think about our university; the quality of the university is determined by threeā¦
The greatest example of a beneficial public-private partnership in our nation is public higher education.Ā Any student of history knows the key to glory in our republic is the balance between the private lives of citizens and their support ofā¦
Everywhere you look you hear about the high cost of college. You see it in this newspaper, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Houston Chronicle. Costs are going up at a rate that exceeds inflation here andā¦
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
