Crunch the Numbers: A Question of Leadership; First-gen Students Get Online; AI Worries on Student Privacy

Americans are experiencing a crisis of faith toward higher education leaders and do not fully trust them to prioritize their students, a new survey from U.S. News & World Report and The Harris Poll shows.  The results were revealed December 12 at an exclusive event, “The Evolution of Leadership: Education”. U.S. News – the global authority in education rankings and consumer advice – convened more than 125 education thought leaders, college presidents and government officials in New York for a discussion on crucial topics shaping the future of higher education.

Wendy Salomon, managing director of corporate strategy & reputation at The Harris Poll, presented the survey’s results. Among the key findings:

  • Fifty-eight percent of Americans believe that university leaders are failing students today, while 53% of current Gen Z and Millennials believe the same thing.
  • Only 43% of Americans and 45% of Gen Z and Millennials believe that universities are succeeding in developing leaders of tomorrow.
  • Fifty-six percent of Americans think that university leaders are not good examples of leaders for their students.
  • Only 45% of Americans trust university leaders to do the right thing for their students. However, 57% of Gen Z and Millenials trust university leaders to do the right thing for their students.
  • As for Americans’ trust in their university leaders to prioritize their students:
    • 59% of Americans trust public university leaders
    • 55% of Americans trust private university leaders
    • 51% of Americans trust ivy university leaders

“We know that important work has had to be undertaken in an increasingly difficult environment in this country where we are seeing declining levels of trust in our academic institutions, as well as decreasing enrollment numbers today where high school students are increasingly electing not to go to college,” Eric Gertler, U.S. News executive chairman and CEO, told attendees. “These last two months have made one’s role as president of a university infinitely more difficult. Leadership has never been easy – especially in times of crisis. But that is what we expect and demand from those in these positions of leadership.”…Read More

Movers and shakers: New higher ed leaders emerge

PROPEL Center announced that the U.S. Department of Education has named its President, Dr. Lisa N. Herring, as Strategic Advisor to the Secretary. Herring, who officially begins her tenure with PROPEL on Monday, September 18th, will help shape the USDOE’s strategy to engage state and local officials.

“I am delighted to have Dr. Lisa Herring join us at the Department of Education, a leader whose decades of experience as a teacher and administrator will be a tremendous asset to the Biden-Harris team. As strategic advisor, Dr. Herring will draw upon a professional career that has spanned both rural and urban communities, and teaching in both public and private schools to deepen our relationships and collaboration with state and local education leaders. Dr. Herring shares our commitment to accelerating academic recovery in our schools and empowering educators to help students of all backgrounds to find their purpose and fulfill their potential. I look forward to working with her to raise the bar in education for all students,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

As the incoming president of the PROPEL Center, Dr. Herring is singularly enthused by the distinctive appointment, and the many potential ways in which the strategic role with the USDOE aligns with and complements her important work with PROPEL on behalf of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their students. “I am honored to serve in this capacity to help impact and influence education across both the K-12 and Postsecondary spectrum communities,” Herring states. “I am incredibly eager to lead and work together to forge innovative, creative and student focused opportunities for scholars across our country through this collective work.”…Read More

Developing higher-ed leadership from within

 [Editor’s note: This post originally appeared in Community College Daily.]

Rachel Benavides is getting a look behind the community college curtain. What she sees is an industry going through tectonic change.

“In the past, community colleges have been more enrollment-based than outcome-based,” said Benavides, director of Del Mar College’s adult education and literacy program and a member of its inaugural Next Generation Leadership Academy (NGLA). “Now, instead of looking at the front end, we’re looking at the back end and what we as a college have to do to help students get to completion. This is all fresh and new to me.”…Read More

Here’s a way for colleges to help develop tomorrow’s leaders


[Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on the AACC 21st Century Center.]

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) students who want to grow their leadership skills get the opportunity at the Missouri college’s MCC LEADS Academy.

The program, designed by the Campus Life & Leadership coordinators, is targeted to help MCC students develop their leadership skills over the course of their education. It was created by Caitlin Mountjoy, an MCC-Penn Valley student and the Student Government Association president on her campus.…Read More

Josie and the Podcast

Our first Podcast of the Week is Josie and the Podcast – Connecting Tech & Leadership in Higher Ed. In each episode, Dr. Josie Ahlquist, an author, researcher, and speaker, interviews on- and off-campus leaders and new media professionals through the lens of social media and leadership.

Recent episodes include a discussion on the responsibilities of digital influence with Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice; using technology to support student persistence with Dr. Jason L. Meriwether, vice president for student success at Rhode Island College; and a chat about building community in higher ed with Dr. Mary K. Boyd, provost at Berry College.…Read More

7 college presidents on “the worst leadership advice I ever received”

eCampus News asked a handful of college presidents: What is the worst leadership advice you’ve ever received? Here’s what they had to say.

“If anything, that great leaders are ‘born, not made’—as if one can’t learn or improve leadership skills.”
—Michael V. Drake, MD, president, The Ohio State University

“Work harder.”
—Michael J. Smith, president, Berkeley College, New York and New Jersey…Read More

8 college presidents on “the best leadership advice I’ve ever received”

eCampus News asked higher-ed leaders: What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten about leadership? Here are their answers.

“The most significant thing I’ve learned about leadership is that you don’t get there alone. It’s so important to find good people who will help guide you through your career and life journey.

“This is especially crucial for young women and I often advise our students on this. As women grow in their leadership capabilities and are eligible for promotions, they need someone to turn to for support in reaching that next level. Mentors can support your career ambitions and help you reach your goals by offering useful guidance and encouraging you to succeed.…Read More

College presidents share “the best book I’ve ever read”

eCampus News asked higher-ed leaders: What is the best book you’ve ever read and why? Here are their answers.

“I don’t have one best book. The best one I’ve read lately is The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workforce, by Ron Friedman.”
—Kris Williams, PhD, president/chief executive officer, Henderson Community College, Kentucky

“I would pick two. Good to Great, by Jim Collins, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by the late Stephen Covey. Collins’ book offers wonderful examples of how 11 major companies changed their focus and went from acceptable performance on the stock market to exemplary performance. The alignment across this diverse set of companies was remarkable—they each had leaders who focused on the company’s mission, not themselves; each company had a singular operational focus; and their performance metrics, technology systems, and human resources approach supported that operational focus.…Read More

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