HigherEd Geek

the sometimes, semi-intelligent ramblings of an individual concerned about the future with higher education.

This Can't be Expressed Enough

What is unique about your institution?

It’s okay, take a moment.

When asking an alumni, students, faculty member, administrators or staff members at most of the colleges and universities across the US about this, I bet they’ll have an extended, well-thought out, emotionally-tied response.  That is, if they actually understand and embrace the campus culture and sub-cultures that exist.

The article from the Chronicle of Higher Education drives home how important it is to have individuals who understand the culture - and grow up with it.  Conversely, it is imperative to have faculty and staff who diverge from it and separate your campuses ability to group-think.  However, it’s just as important (if not more so) for an institution to recognize their “homegrown” leaders and take advantage of their abilities.  Colleges and Universities across the world need to stay true to their mission, their values, and the unique culture that exists.  Cultivating their own leaders is a way to embody this and it can’t be expressed enough.

You can access the article by clicking the title.  Do you agree?  What do you believe colleges and universities should be doing to cultivate their own leaders?

Do you know Geoffrey Canada?  I get the chills every time I listen to him talk.  This riveting discussion about education in America will get you thinking about the social link between poverty, performance, and the pipeline for “success”.

Response to US Dept. of Education Recent Findings on College Affordability

The Department of Education in the US released some current trends on fiscally related issues concerning higher education.  Their data can be found here http://collegecost.ed.gov/catc/Default.aspx#.  Apparently, they’ll be asking the institutions with highest % increase in tuition cost to explain why their fees have gone up so much.  What do you think the Department of Education will get as their answer?

As far as my undergraduate institution, Albright College is concerned, their report data and school default rates can be found at these two links below.  Albright’s tuition has gone up for the past few years (known from personal experience) but I thought their percentage increase would be higher than what the data shows.  Albright student’s should be happy their percentage increases in tuition aren’t as high as some of these other institutions.  How does Albright compare against it’s pier institutions?

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=albright+college&s=all&id=210571#expenses

http://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/defaultmanagement/cohortdetail.cfm?sno=0&ope_id=003229

Understanding the difficult fiscal times, should colleges even be considering raises in tuition pricing? Will the demand for higher education continue to grow?  What trends can you find in the data?

All the best to our current and future undergraduates.

thedailywhat: Infographic of the Day: Just as they did in 2008 and 2009, Gallup spent each day last year phoning up 1,000 random people from across the country to ask them how they’re doing (among other, more specific questions about good and bad habits). The survey results were compiled into the 2010 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index Map, which breaks down America’s quality of life by district. Click here to get interactive with the inforgraphic. According to the Index, America’s happiest person would be “a tall, Asian-American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year.” Bonus: The New York Times found him. [nyt / flowingdata.]

thedailywhat:

Infographic of the Day: Just as they did in 2008 and 2009, Gallup spent each day last year phoning up 1,000 random people from across the country to ask them how they’re doing (among other, more specific questions about good and bad habits).

The survey results were compiled into the 2010 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index Map, which breaks down America’s quality of life by district. Click here to get interactive with the inforgraphic.

According to the Index, America’s happiest person would be “a tall, Asian-American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year.”

Bonus: The New York Times found him.

[nyt / flowingdata.]

(Source: thedailywhat)

awesome picture of the sunset… taken a few mins ago

awesome picture of the sunset… taken a few mins ago

thedailywhat:

This Is Informative, You Should Listen To It of the Day: A brief history of hip hop, as told through the international language of beatboxing.

[misterhonk.]

(Source: thedailywhat)

Sweet picture I took from Bear Creek, PA early this morning.

Sweet picture I took from Bear Creek, PA early this morning.