1) Right now, many colleges around the country are contributors to a debt-based bubble that is not quite as large as, though comparable to the housing bubble of 2013. Has Brooklyn College implemented any strategies that would prevent students from taking on too much debt?

2) Considering the recent news about the coming increase of many student loans from 3.4% to 6.8%, is Brooklyn College planning on changing any financial aid policies to assist those students who will be affected by this significant increase?

3) How much capital is Brooklyn College currently investing in improving educational technology both inside and outside of the classrooms? Do advancements in the technology being used at BC improve student performance? If so, how?

4) How will the implementation of CUNYfirst affect the efficiency of processing students’ tuition and fees at Brooklyn College? How/will the use of the CUNYfirsts system decrease costs in the long run?

1)   As a public institution, what is different about CUNY’s role in higher education from a private college? Specifically, what is unique about Brooklyn College’s mission as a liberal arts school? How may this mission change in the future, especially when considering the changes through Pathways and other CUNY-wide programs? Will these CUNY changes alter the mission of Brooklyn College as a liberal arts school?

2)   Some academics believe that colleges are not only meant to foster intellectual learning, but colleges are also intended to promote civic engagement among the student body. As an administrator, do you agree with this? How do you/would you go about encouraging student civic involvement? How much focus should be placed on this facet of student life? How should students balance these different entities?

3)   What is the general structure of faculty at Brooklyn College? Are there mostly contingent/part-time faculty or full-time tenured professors? In dealing with the structure of institutional administration and management, what are some important tactics you use to create an environment of “shared governance” (administration & faculty/students), especially considering the contingent and part-time faculty? As well as non-traditional students that may not be as apt to participate in this “shared governance”? Do you see a continued trend in the faculty hirings (more or less full-time vs. part-time)? How will this trend affect the college as a whole?

4)   Where do you think academic freedom applies at a public institution? Is academic freedom only present in a classroom or does it include other campus activities? Does this academic freedom extend to contingent faculty?

I had read in one of the Chancellor’s news updates (2009) that one of your many successes at California State University was your retention initiatives for at-risk students. Who did you consider as at-risk students, and what were some of these initiatives? CSU has about twice as many students as Brooklyn college, so do you think these plans can help increase the retention rate here, or raise the percentage of students who earn a degree within 4 years?

Throughout this semester, our seminar has addressed the different views regarding the duties of a university president. The two sides are managerial leader vs. financial leader. Would you say you spend more time leading the faculty and representing the university, fundraising, or equal parts both? The operating budget for the 2013 fiscal year is 115 million dollars. About how much of that budget did you raise and what did you do to bring that money to the university?

A few months ago, there was controversy regarding the BDS event, and you chose to protect academic freedom and integrity and allow the event to commence, despite calls to cancel it amidst claims of anti-Semitism and hate. As President, do you feel like students and people outside of the university view your decision as the beliefs of the university or your own personal beliefs?

1. Is the new Pathways program a genuine attempt to ease students by creating a more unified CUNY core system, or is there some behind-the scene contract that gave CUNY an incentive to create and implement this program?

2. Do you feel that the decisions, votes, and proposals from the individual board members are based on what’s best for the school, or what’s best for that individual member?

3. For President Gould (probably shouldn’t ask this, but just an idea)-The current debate over the role and capabilities of the University President is basically non corporate duty vs. a corporate duty. If a President made a negligent decision that ended up causing the university to lose a critical bundle of funding, do you believe that termination of that President would be sufficient, or should the university have the option to sue that President personally for negligence?

1. What is the single most important aspect in higher education that makes one college/university better or more unique than the other? (What is one concrete reason one student should pick your college over another?)

2.. Do you believe higher education should be able to foster an intellectual mind or teach the skills and trade necessary for today’s economy? If there should be a balance, where can students go who favor one over the other and, yet, desire the same prestige of attending a reputable 4-year accredited college? (Instead of a community college, trade or vocational school).

3. How do you plan on competing with the rise of obtaining a higher education through online courses? How do you plan on competing on a global scale?

4. Why are the criteria for student admission to a particular upper-tier university so broad? Is it considered unethical to give preference to students who come from a higher socioeconomic background than to those who do not?

1) What aspects of your mission statement distinguish you from other universities? What type of students are you looking for, and how do you go about choosing who gets admitted? Do you think that this is the best criteria to base your decision on?

2) What is the student-to-faculty ratio in your college? Do you feel that the lower the ratio, the better the education? Do you think that a change in the ratio would benefit your university, but you just don’t have the finances to support it?

3) In addition to transforming your students into well-educated individuals, is there anything that you do in order to ensure that they have the practical skills necessary in order to excel in the workplace?

4) In order to graduate from college, is it enough that students just complete a certain amount of credits? Or do you think that students should also be required to pass some sort of assessment test?

5) Do you believe that granting tenure to professors can negatively affect the quality of education?

6) What are a few of the major issues your college is facing now, and where do you see your college ten years from now? What changes do you think are necessary? Do you see an increase in tuition? New technologies? Larger classes? More part-time professors? Full-time professors? Etc.

1. According to various college newspapers, the CUNY Board of Trustees is under fire for their new CUNY Pathways system. Many faculty believe that it is taking away their academic freedom to cater their course to their specific interests. Do you believe that the pathways system infringes on that right and are there any compromises being made between the faculty and the administration on the issue? How will the Pathways system affect current students?

2. With a changing economy and the rising unemployment rate, do you believe that a liberal arts education is still as valuable as it used to be, or do you believe that students should learn professions or technical applications instead?

3. With a job market growing in difficulty, what are plans to better prepare graduates to succeed in the world?

4. Do you believe that faculty should receive tenure based on research alone, or should there be more regulation on the teaching qualities of professors?

5. What are some ways that you attract first year students to your school and how do you separate your school’s mission statement from other universities and colleges?

1-What do you feel distinguishes your college/university from others? How does your institutions’ goals, exemplified in your mission statement, stand apart from those of other universities?

2-Do you think that students entering institutions of higher education are adequately prepared for the workload? If not, do you think this is an issue that universities should be addressing or should it be left in the hands of K-12 educators? If it is in fact the responsibility of higher education institutions, what strategy would you suggest is best to address the issue?

3-Does the setting of your institution have a significant impact on the image of the school? How does your institution reflect the interests and needs of the community it serves? In what ways does your institution support students in their goals towards a future career path, i.e. what resources are available to your students (internship, fieldwork/research opportunities, mentors, seminars)?

4– In some institutions of higher education, students may feel that they are forced to take many general core curriculum classes that can be time-consuming, costly, and may not necessarily pertain to their interests or field they would like to major in. Do you think the core curriculum is a staple in a university’s education? Do you think the core curriculum should be streamlined, providing a quicker path for students to explore courses related to their interests/major?

5- How do you suggest the costs of colleges and universities be effectively reduced without hindering academic qualities and research-based innovation? In the public sector, should taxpayers’ money be used to hold down tuition costs or focus more on expanding need-based aid in institutions of higher education? Can it be both?

1)   How does a president go about running the daily activities of a university? What is done to make sure that the goals are being met and everything is being run accordingly? Do you feel that your institution follows the guidelines of your mission statement?

2)   What kind of students do you look for in order for admittance into your institution? What are the criteria? It seems that simply getting high grades and high-standardized test scores isn’t enough in order to be admitted into some colleges. What would you say are the things that make students stand out in addition to extracurricular activities? Is this where cultural diversity and socio economic status becomes major factors in distinguishing the student body?

3)   Some institutions admit first year students on the basis that they enter in the spring term, not the fall term with most of their other peers. Does your university admit students on this basis as well? Why do universities follow this practice? Are financial reasons a factor? Do you think it hurts the students in terms of academics and social life?

4)   Do you agree with practice of tenure? Do you think some professor’s take advantage of it and do not work to their fullest potential or do you feel that it gives them more time to do research outside of the academic classroom?

5)   Is the United States in doing a fair job with its system of higher education? Are there other nations or continents that seem to be doing a better job in terms of getting their students ready for the job-market? What are some of the parallels and differences between the European higher education system and the American higher education system? Are there any ideas that America should borrow from Europe?