Education Commons^™

Colleges May Take Blame For Government Actions., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

In the last few weeks a number of news events have taken place that may not have been very noticeable, but which can seriously affect higher education in a very detrimental way.

The first event was the publication of the results of a survey conducted by New America, a non-partisan think-tank based in Washington, D.C. The poll surveyed 1,600 people and found that the American public is becoming more and more ambivalent about the value of higher education. Three-quarters of the respondents agreed that it is easier to be successful with a college degree, but one-quarter said higher education is …

Private Colleges Can Partner To Solve Issues., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

One of the discussions around accessibility, cost, and quality in higher education revolves about private colleges and universities. Are they for rich kids only? Do they graduate students at a higher rate than do public institutions? Are they more efficient at managing their money? Can they save taxpayers money? And, more importantly, is there a place for them in the future of higher education? These and other questions have been around for a while and a study recently published on these issues provides us with some of the answers.

These and other questions are particularly relevant, especially in states that …

Campuses And The Freedom Of Speech Trap., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

In the last few weeks we have heard about an increasing number of incidents on campuses across the nation where politically conservative speakers have been prevented from talking. From Middlebury College in Vermont to the University of California at Berkeley, these cases have something in common: They are giving higher education a bad name.

Some op-ed pieces by liberal authors have criticized these incidents on the basis that they represent a violation of the basic principle of free speech, which is seen as a liberal principle.

Study: Students Often Perceived Differently By Race., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

In past columns, I have reported on more than one study that shows that expectations for “brilliance” for women in higher education were much higher than that for males. For example, when a research paper is co-authored by a male and a female the assumption by many is that the male did “the real work.”

Now comes a study showing that there is a similar bias when it comes to students – only this time the differences are based on race.

Moody’S Paints Grim Picture For Higher Education., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Predicting one’s own future is an uncertain business.

But when institutions known for their prognosticating

skills predict your future, you might

want to listen. This lesson is one that America’s

institutions of higher education seem to be failing.

After looking at the budget proposal by the

Trump administration, Moody’s Investors Service

painted a grim financial future for the nation’s

colleges and universities. According to their

analysis, Trump’s budget proposal to slash federal

research funding and end financial support

for the arts and humanities would irreparably

harm institutions that rely on those government

dollars.

College Presidents Worry About Higher Ed’S Future, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

One of the major responsibilities of college and university leaders is to look into the future and act accordingly. They are supposed to see things coming, whether good or bad. That is why they are assumed to be good thermometers about the prospects for higher education.

Now a new survey gives us a glimpse about how they see the present and the future. Published just a few weeks ago, the study, titled “2017Survey of College and University Presidents,” shows the level of concern by U.S. higher education presidents about the future of their institutions. According to the survey, only six …

Does Unconscious Bias Effect Higher Ed Hiring?, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Nobody wants to be called a racist or a misogynist. Most people think that they are not. However, we are constantly making decisions that are influenced by unconscious biases.

Unconscious biases are defined as social stereo- types that are formed about certain groups of people by individuals from outside their own conscious awareness. Psychologists agree that everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and that these biases stem from one’s tenden- cy to organize social worlds by categorizing.

Teaching Must Become Engaging To Be Effective., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

We live in a time of intense scrutiny as to the

effectiveness of instruction in higher education.

Questions are being asked of college and university

administrators about the retention and graduation

rates of their students. In fact, some states have tied

funding of public institutions to this data. Others

are asking how well we are teaching students to get

that well-paid job after graduation.

It is interesting that the fundamental question

of how well we are teaching our students is rarely

answered. One reason for this hesitation is that we

are still struggling with just how to measure teaching

effectiveness …

Female Administrators Face Discrimination In Ed., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

In past articles of this column we have reported

data that show that women in general find more

barriers than their male counterparts in getting

into academic careers. Further, female college professors

earn on average 10 percent less in salaries

than their male colleagues.

If you are a woman in academia and aspire to

an administrative job in order to substantially

improve your earnings and make them more in

par with the males around you, you should think

twice.

Diversity More Than Race, Gender In Higher Ed., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Most people when talking about diversity think

of matters revolving around race and gender, and

while those are obvious and important topics, the

fact of the matter is that the definition of diversity

is much larger.

Today diversity is seen in two dimensions.

The first one is what is called inherent diversity,

the diversity that is beyond people’s control.

Obviously, these issues include race and gender,

but also include national origin, age, sexual orientation,

disability, religious affiliation and socioeconomic

status. Certainly, you can change your

religious affiliation or socioeconomic status over

time, but being raised in a particular religion or …

Not All Presidential Spouses Are Created Equal., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

One of the individuals who is usually around on campuses but many times is almost “invisible” is the president’s partner. Sometimes they take on major roles for social functions, fundraising, and public relations; others are quite inconspicuous. In some cases, they even get financial compensation for their work. In others, they have to make sacrifices for the wellbeing of their partners.

A new study helps to clarify the role of presidential partners and how they feel about their roles. “The Lives of Presidential Partners in Higher Education Institutions,” published by the University of Minnesota, provides a good understanding.

There Is Proof Diversity Makes Colleges Better., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Since the time of the Civil Rights movement the

issue of diversity has been widely discussed in academia.

First it was considered that institutions of

higher education should increase the participation of

minorities of both faculty and students as a matter of

social justice.

Then came the legal aspect of increasing diversity

when the concept of affirmative action was introduced

in the early 1960s. After President John F. Kennedy

issued an executive order in 1961 that required not to

“discriminate against any employee or applicant for

employment because of race, creed, color, or national

origin" and "take affirmative action to …

Department Chairs Play Key Role In Education., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

In higher education, it has always been said

that the position of departmental chair is one of

the most difficult jobs. Chairs usually take over

the responsibility of managing the affairs of

their academic units without previous in-depth

preparation for the job and do so in a difficult

position where they have to implement policies

and practices from the college and university’s

administration, while having to still deal with

their colleagues on a daily basis.

On top of that they tend to return to the faculty

as another foot soldier after their stint as chair,

having to live with the …

Freedom Of The Press In Danger On Campuses., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Anybody who has attended college is familiar with

student-run media. From newspapers to radio to even

TV stations, these outlets are oftentimes the main sources

of information to the college community.

They vary in quality and content, with some even

carrying out investigative reporting of their own institutions

and taking critical stances about policies and practices

that, while may seem inconsequential to outsiders,

are crucial to education.

College Enrollments Becoming Problematic., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Enrollment has become the main focus of attention for

higher education administrators. For private institutions

enrollment is the major source of their funding. And due

to diminished support from states, it has also become

the major source of financial support for most public

colleges and universities. This dependence on tuition

wasn’t always so great for public institutions, but is the

result of a process that has been called the privatization

of public higher education.

Two reports that got little attention when published

recently were the Western Interstate Commission on

Higher Education, known as Wiche. This group released

its new projections …