Leadership in Higher Education: Emerging Paradigms in the New Millennium

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Leadership in Higher Education Emerging
Paradigms in the New Millennium

• Larry D. Roper
• Oregon State University

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Overview

• A college education is more important today than
  ever before
• Need for a coordinated approach to meet changing
  economic demands and rising enrollment numbers
  and changing national needs
• Need for national leadership on this issue (in
  and outside higher ed. community

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Access

• No notable progress since the early 1990s
• Projected college-ready population will
  increasingly be from first generation, low income
  families with little or no experience in higher
  education.
• There is an increasing need for outreach programs
  and college financial planning.
• It is critical to support programs that
  facilitate early engagement with colleges and
  universities
• Diversity politics will influence higher ed.
  access agenda - mission challenge

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Affordability

• Colleges and universities have become less
  affordable
• Lack of grant funding to cover full financial
  need.
• Pell Grant award levels static for five years
• Increased reliance on loans and work to cover
  costs
• Explosion of alternative loan borrowing to fill
  remaining need

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Funding Higher Education

• A significant decrease in funding from government
  sources
• Increased reliance on fund-raising
• Public-private partnerships (economic
  development)
• Public partnerships (increase productions of
  high-demand graduates)

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Public Perception

• Sticker shock, media attention on skyrocketing
  costs
• Value of higher education clear, confusion on
  processes
• Families unaware of financial aid or other
  funding mechanisms
• Complexity of application discourages families
  from taking advantage of available assistance

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Technology, Distant Students and On-Line
Communities

• Better understand the role technology plays in
  the lives of students
• Understand the role of virtual communities and
  how those communities enhance or detract from a
  quality collegiate experience
• Explore use of digital learning communities in
  ways that deepen the quality of the educational
  experience

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Technology, Distant Students and On-Line
Communities

• Expectation of cutting edge technology in and
  outside the classroom
• E-movement (Online courses, registration,
  financial aid, residential life issues,
  transactions) - e-mail, e-commerce and e-campus
• Efficiency benefits of technology will soon be
  maximized

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Learning Environments

• Increased demand for interdisciplinary learning
• Distance learning utilized to increase access and
  revenue
• Increased emphasis on assessment and learning
  outcomes
• Shift to evidence-based, results-oriented
  standards
• Academic Integrity challenges

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Regulatory Issues

• Cost
• Standards
• Greater government scrutiny
• Transfer of Credits
• Student Tracking
• Time to completion

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Issues

• Alignment of coursework and assessments
• Accountability
• Growing consumerism
• Increasing economic impact
• Competition (for faculty, top students, funding,
  status) and survival
• Increased importance of community colleges
• Growth in proprietary education

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Issues

• Balancing dynamics of intellectualism, careerism
  and consumerism
• Sustainability and environmental issues will
  increase in prominence increased impact of
  Green Industry

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Diversity

• Hispanic population growth
• Increased bi-racial and multi-racial students
• Challenge to culture-specific support and access
  programs
• Adult-student population
• International student access and tracking