General Interview Questions – Mark Markov

1. The running of a university has been compared to that of a corporation. Do you think that this is a fair assessment? Is there a better comparison?

2. Few would argue that a university has to adapt to the new globalized world in order not be behind the times. Yet, these changes can be contentious. Where would you draw the line between adaption and staying the original course?

3. Do you feel that universities in the United States need an a single regulating organization, whether federal or internal, to unify the assessment process and clear away redundancies? If so, how would you envision it? If not, what would be a more perfect system?

4. Universities have a number of ways of raising money, whether through tuition, fund raising, donations, endowments, government grants, etc. All of these are of course important to the financial functioning of the institution, but they also all have important drawbacks. Which would you consider the most important? Which covers the largest portion of the costs?

General Interview Questions – Will Lorenzo

1. Would you consider your university solely a brick university or a brick and click university? In your opinion, what is the role of new technologies in both your institution and the future of higher education, in general?

2. The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a new technologically innovative school that moves away from traditional/classical university ideals. What exactly is your institution doing to create a modern, technologically innovative collegiate environment for your students? Or do you feel that traditional/classical university ideals foster a better environment for your students?

3. What role does MOOCs play in your institution? Does your institution plan on offering academic credit or exemption for students who take MOOCs or do you view them as either remedial or supplemental coursework? Do you feel that MOOCs will serve an important role in the future of higher education, in general?

4. How does your mission statement define the values and standards of your institution? What is the role of the core curriculum in defining the mission of your institution? Does innovative technology play a part in how you define your institution? Should innovative technologies play a role in defining the mission of any modern institution of higher education?

General Interview Questions – Allen Yevtukhov

1) Do you consider your institution innovative in all/some f the methods it employs in educating its students?

2) Does your institution value diversity over academic standing and achievement throughout the admissions process?

3) Would you consider remedial classes a positive or negative influence on the overall progress of a student’s education? Do you believe they reflect poorly on your institution?

4) How would your institution’s education process prepare a student for “real life” work in an office or other specialized job setting. Is this a direct goal of your institution or more of a side-effect?

General Interview Questions

Is your college/university a model for others or is it based on the model of others?

Do you feel that the mission of the school is to just educate or do you feel that it is the responsibility of higher education to have students that are competent enough to be able to survive in the real world outside of a classroom environment?

As the President and symbol of your college/university, do you feel that there are things that you wish were being done but because of certain factors you were unable to? (Outside disapproval or inside disapproval)

Do you think that it is important to “level the playing field” by offering remedial classes to everyone or do you feel that that is unnecessary?

What is your institutions view on community service? Do you require students to commit a certain number of hours or is it something you just encourage?

Possible Interview Questions

Does open admission diminish the reputation of a school?

Should more scholarships be given to students based on need or merit? Which students are more successful?

Are the SAT and other standardized tests good indications of how students will succeed in higher education?

If statistics show that many students aren’t prepared for college, should we focus on improving higher education or spend more time investing in programs that improve elementary and high schools?

If there are positions available, but students do not have the skills required, should colleges focus on introducing courses that prepare graduates for jobs in the current economy?

General Interview Questions

1. Do you feel that your institution is designed for providing a realm of intellectual expertise or as a means of providing knowledge that can be immediately utilized? Is one better than the other?

2. What does this institution look for specifically when attempting to create a diverse student body?

3. Does research hinder the educational process? If it detracts professors from their teaching duties, can it be considered a necessary evil?

4. How active is student activism in your school? Does the administration encourage outspoken students or discourage them? How so?

5. What are some future innovations that your institution would like to implement in the future to improve the education experience>

Questions for Professor Brier 3/13/13

1. Is there still an elitist sense in schools such as the Ivy League that looks down upon knowledge that can be immediately utilized (page 14) and if so, are their students negatively impacted by this?

2. Did the idea of having an institution with only the “purest intellectual elite” do anything for City College in the 20s and 30s besides increase its prestige?

3. Does the current system of lecturing with minimal discussion from students in many classes lead to a sense of passivity in students? And if so, does this passivity negatively affect students willingness to be more outspoken in administrative issues and other issues outside of the classroom?

Reading on Governance in higher education

Here are the PDFs for the reading assignments for next week. The reading questions will primarily be the responsibility of Group#2, but everyone is expected to come ready to discuss the readings. Submit any reading questions (for the responsible group or anyone else who has them) to me by email.

Topics for 3/20/13: University Governance, Administrators, boards and accreditors; Shared governance; the Faculty as professionals; tenure; academic freedom

1. Eckel, P.D. and Kezar, A. (2011) Presidents leading: The dynamics and complexities of campus leadership, ch. 11 in in P.G. Altbach, P.J. Gumport, and R.O. Berdahl, American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. altbach ch 11

2. Harcleroad, F.F. and Eaton, J.S. (2011) The hidden hand: External constituencies and their impact. Ch. 8 in P.G. Altbach, P.J. Gumport, and R.O. Berdahl, American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. altbach ch 8

3. Hendrickson, R. M., Lane, J.E., Harris, J.T., and Dorman, R. H. (2013). Principles of Academic Leadership, ch. 1 in Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education. Sterling, VA: Stylus. Hendrickson ch1

4. Hendrickson, R. M., Lane, J.E., Harris, J.T., and Dorman, R. H. (2013). The faculty, ch. 13 in Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Hendrickson ch. 13

5. Kaminer, A. (2013) NYU’s global leader is tested by faculty at home, New York Times, 3/10/13, url: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/nyregion/john-sexton-is-tested-by-nyu-faculty.html?emc=eta1 and N.Y.U.’s Global Leader Is Tested by Faculty at Home – NYTimes

6. Schmidtlein, F.A. and Berdahl, R.O. (2011) Autonomy and accountability: Who controls academe?. Ch 3 in P.G. Altbach, P.J. Gumport, and R.O. Berdahl, American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. altbach ch3

7. (optional but a good read and continues our theme of pilloring Harvard) Traub, J. (2003) Harvard Radical, The New York Times Magazine, Aug. 24. Harvard Radical – New York Times (same guy who wrote City on a Hill.

Recent News

From Professor Hainline:

This editorial—The Trouble With Online College, NYT—stimulated the responses below:

Secrets to Success in Online College Learning, NYT
Thomas Edison State College Pioneers Alternative Paths, NYT: Pay particular attention to the quote (maybe out of context, you never know) by Clifford Adelman, a respected analyst for higher education, about his upset that these types of degrees means it’s not clear what institution gets to “own” the student as a graduate.

On popular view of HE in the US:
Americans Are Proud of U.S. Colleges but Not of Their Direction, The Chronicle

On the problems of HE and need for change:
From Dean Kirschner: Innovations in Higher Education? Hah!, The Chronicle
Responses to the Kirschner article on change in HE:
The Rut We’re In, The Chronicle

On the future of Higher Ed by a popular writer on HE:
Higher Education’s Future: Discuss!, NYT

On cheating scandal at Harvard:
Harvard Forced Dozens to Leave in Cheating Scandal, NYT

Who gets to go to college/diversity issues:
Poor Students Struggle as Class Plays a Greater Role in Success, NYT

Two on the academic freedom issue at BC:
Academic Freedom Vindicated in Brooklyn, NYT
Academic Freedom in Brooklyn: Part Two, NYT

Administration of HE:

On administrative pay and political relationships: Lew, Treasury Nominee, Got Exit Bonus From N.Y.U., NYT
On tuition pressures: Cooper Union’s Tradition of Free Tuition May Be Near End, NYT
On California’s attempts to drag back the reputation of the CA colleges and universities, once regarded as the best public system going, but devastated by the CA budget situation: Brown Looks at Reshaping California’s Higher Education, NYT
On accreditation and the Federal role in HE: Obama’s College Scorecard Needs Works, Experts Say, NYT
On changes in law school education being discussed to reduce student debt and raise admissions: Law Schools’ Applications Fall as Costs Rise and Jobs Are Cut, NYT

On MOOCs and technology in HE:

Measuring the Success of Online Education, NYT
Five Online Courses Are Eligible for College Credit, NYT
Universities Abroad Join MOOC Course Projects, NYT
Revolution Hits the Universities, NYT
Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning, Tomorrow’s Professor
From Dean Kirschner: A Pioneer in Online Education Tries a MOOC, The Chronicle
How Will MOOCs Make Money?, Inside Higher Ed

Employability, goals/purpose, economics of HE:

On the purpose of higher ed: Higher Ed’s Biggest Problem: What’s It For?, The Chronicle
Economic outcomes for students: College, Still Worth It, NYT
On the reality or not of unemployed college grads: The College Grad/Employment Mismatch, Inside Higher Ed
On the need for BAs for careers that didn’t require them before and what a college degree signifies to employers: Degree Inflation? Jobs That Newly Require B.A.’s, NYT
Employability issues as a college outcome: Don’t Think College Is Worth It? Ask People Who Haven’t Gone, NYT
Liberal arts angst: Making the Case, Inside Higher Ed
On graduate rates/retention statistics: Helping Degree Seekers Finish What They Start, NYT
On question of whether more money means better results: Not Getting What You Paid For, Inside Higher Ed
On whether college is going to provide what it used to economically: Will You Be More Successful Than Your Parents?, NYT
The idea of differential tuition: Florida May Reduce Tuition for Select Majors, NYT

Today’s Times is full of HE articles, some about CUNY

From Professor Hainline:

I will eventually learn how to put these on the WordPress Blog, but much action in today’s Times and related posts on issues in higher education relevant to our discussions:

1. Article about the pro-Palestinian speakers on the BC campus: Q: why is academic freedom a value on college campuses? Whose is entitled to it? Faculty? Students? http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/nyregion/appearance-by-bds-at-brooklyn-college-spurs-protest.html?emc=eta1

2. Article about resignation of the President of Medgar Evers, embattled pretty much since he came to the school, and the role of the faculty in no-confidence votes (the President of NYU has just had one about various faculty matters, including the desire to build a huge building complex in Greenwich Village and his financial support of various International campuses of NYU – but no link for that today): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/nyregion/medgar-evers-college-president-resigns.html?emc=eta1

3. An article about declining values of university and college endowments (Harvard’s is $30 billion), which points to the relationship between the resources for higher education and the larger financial markets in which institutions of HE invest:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/education/study-confirms-drop-in-college-endowment-returns.html?emc=eta1

4. An op-ed piece about a person who got a college degree for less than $10K (question is why people seem to think an N of 1 is any sort of argument; maybe the 10K degree missed something, but this is actually pretty common as a reasoning tool in arguments): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/opinion/my-valuable-cheap-college-degree.html?emc=eta1

5. Some eposts (not from today) on an article on need blind admissions and a letter form the President of Vassar about the impact of need blind admissions and the impacts of admissions policies on shifting financial aid from need to merit (which came up in our discussion of the other day): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/education/elite-smaller-colleges-struggle-to-cover-financial-aid.htmland http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/opinion/need-blind-admissions.html?emc=eta1

6. A post (also not from today, but relevant to the question of mission differentiation at different institutions we will be covering soon) from a former librarian at Yale about how the need for faculty to do research and scholarship affects UG tuition:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/opinion/why-college-costs-so-much.html?emc=eta1