Some of us swear by our liberal arts education and want to be sure that this kind of learning is preserved in our ever changing society.  Our country has enabled us to partake in what is perhaps higher education’s greatest achievement:  colleges and universities, here and abroad, that provide

Innovation is fine with the stasists among us…as long as nothing changes. Most people like to think of themselves as wise dynamists (those willing and able to adapt to changes in our environment) as opposed to the silly stasists (those trying to keep things the same despite the plethora of

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported tuition increases at public colleges outpaced private colleges over the last 10 years.  The total increase in sticker price above the rate of inflation for public colleges was 72% versus 29% for privates.  The divergence in price increases

Most bachelor’s degrees are typically structured around a strong liberal arts component with the remaining courses aimed at developing expertise in a major that may or may not be useful when a graduate enters the job market.  For instance, in a 124 hour degree program, nearly 50% of the

The higher education press is filled with coverage of the “new” online regulatory environment.  Focused on ensuring the quality of online programs and “protecting” the student consumer, states have put forth an array of requirements.  But, is this the best path to achieve those “protections”

When I initially started working with higher education clients to develop their policies, it quickly became evident that the typical higher education organizational structure leads to a “silo” approach to policy development.  That is, responsibility for managing policy tends to be distributed

The Delta Cost Project (sponsored by the Lumina Foundation) analyzes and reports on the implications of major spending trends in public and private institutions of higher education.  Because the report is lengthy and time is valuable for presidents and chief administrators, Stevens Strategy is

On Tuesday, September 19th, the Chronicle of Higher Education contained a news item that is very worrisome for Accreditation Commissions and Colleges or Universities.  The Department of Education (DOE) notified the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) that it had failed to follow

The average total posted tuition charge for a 124-credit undergraduate degree is $109,172 with a net tuition charge after financial aid of $63,172, according to College Board data for 2009-10.  While the total amount seems to be modest, the balance is often paid from a family’s discretionary

On June 7 2011, the NASDAQ news service reported that nearly 28% of all U.S. mortgages were “underwater” (the principal balance was greater than the market value of the mortgage).  On the same day, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) stated that 40% of second mortgages were underwater. Why should