Governance for a New Era, a blueprint for higher education governance, is the product of a summit facilitated by ACTA and chaired by Benno Schmidt, past president of Yale University and former board chairman of the City University of New York. Signatories to the statement, a diverse group of 22 distinguished national leaders, include college presidents, trustees, business leaders, academics, and policymakers dedicated to ensuring America’s colleges and universities shed 20th century thinking and successfully meet 21st century challenges.
Implementing Governance for a New Era is an action plan to assist college and university trustees in reforming higher education. Delivered to more than 16,000 college and university trustees in November 2014, the plan provides details on how trustees properly represent the public by ensuring students receive a quality education at a reasonable price. The […]
This guide, updated in 2019, outlines some of the key questions trustees should ask regarding the academic and financial operations of their institutions. Institutions vary significantly in terms of size, audience, and purpose. But by asking questions and following up, trustees can play a pivotal role in ensuring that the next generation receives a quality […]
With recent research from the Institute for Higher Education Policy showing that college is unaffordable for as many as 70% of working- and middle-class students, concerns about college costs are mounting. The cost of operating an institution of higher education, with very few exceptions, is reflected in the price of attendance that students, their families, […]
American higher education faces unprecedented challenges: costs are too high, educational quality is often too low and student debt seems destined to continue increasing. In fact, here in Pennsylvania, the average student debt is $31,675—the third highest in the nation, according to the Project on Student Debt. This is especially alarming at a time of […]
Trustees at many American colleges and universities abandoned the public trust and allowed standards to slip even as costs soared and public confidence in higher education declined, a report says. Governance for a New Era, a scathing report issued Tuesday by a panel of 22 college presidents, academics, trustees, policymakers and business leaders, challenged college […]
On August 19 the intrepid American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) released a timely report on the governance of colleges and universities. “Governance for a New Era: A Blueprint for Higher Education Trustees” was the work of a blue-chip 22-member committee chaired by Benno Schmidt, a former president of Yale. The 16-page report is available online, […]
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