THE CHANGE LEADER

Category: Blog

Florida vs Department of Education: Background and Implications

Florida vs Department of Education: Implications and Background:

Redefining State Control in Higher Education

On June 21, 2023, Florida filed a lawsuit (Florida vs Department of Education) challenging higher education accreditation practices. The lawsuit questions the role of state governments in governing institutions and aims to reshape the Department of Education’s authority over accreditation. Florida’s case revolves around two main points: the constitutionality of outsourcing quality assessment to non-governmental entities and the ability of institutions to change accrediting bodies without federal restrictions. This lawsuit has significant implications for the balance between federal oversight and state autonomy in education.

 Improving Institutional Accreditation Transparency - A Call for Change and the Need for Accountability - The Change Leader circled with links to accreditation components

Improving Institutional Accreditation Transparency:

A Call for Change and the Need for Accountability

Why is accreditation transparency important? Accreditors serve as the gatekeepers for over $150 billion in financial aid. Institutional accreditation is the gold standard for higher education institutions in the US and globally. Indeed, without accreditation, most employers and other universities and colleges will not accept a degree from a graduate, whether for employment or graduate school. Colleges and universities are only eligible for federal financial aid if accredited by a Department of Education-approved accreditor. And most importantly, they will attract quality faculty or students to deliver degrees only if an institution is accredited.

How Innovation and Shared Governance Influence Turnaround Success

How Innovation and Shared Governance Influence Turnaround Success:

The National Louis University Story

Successfully reinventing a college or university into a truly innovative school after cutting a significant portion of programs sounds near impossible. However, the experiences at National Louis University (NLU), a four-campus private institution in Chicago, proved that presidents and other decision-makers can turn around an institution without having the complete buy-in of faculty and staff. 

Embracing a New Model for Higher Ed Governance Part 4 | The Change Leader

Embracing a New Model for Higher Ed Governance Part 4:

How The Board and President Relationships Have Evolved

In part 4 of the Embracing a New Model for Higher Ed Governance series, we’re diving into how board roles continue to shift, even as higher education’s focus evolves with the rapidly changing environment. These shifts bring pressure on the board to embrace their responsibilities for oversight as well as the opportunity to serve in a consultant capacity to the institution. These emerging roles are quickly becoming a requirement because of the rapidly changing external environment that is VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.

EMBRACING A NEW MODEL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE PART 3: How New Board Roles Facilitate Institutional Transformation

Embracing a New Model for Higher Education Governance Part 3:

How New Board Roles Facilitate Institutional Transformation

In our series Embracing a New Model for Higher Education Governance, part 1 discussed raising the bar for college and university leaders. In part 2 we covered the updated board duties. Now we continue the series and discuss how new board roles can facilitate institutional transformation. 

Higher education continues to face continual transformational change, and to successfully navigate this change requires a new model of work. While much of this focus is rightfully placed on the operations and academic sides of the equation, the governance process also must change to give colleges and universities the ballast comprised of insights, flexibility, and foresight to move forward confidently in the changing global environment.

EMBRACING A NEW MODEL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE PART 2: The Updated Board Duties

Embracing a New Model for Higher Education Governance Part 2:

The Updated Board Duties

In this second post of our three-part series on the New Higher Education Governance Model, we discuss the updated board duties in higher ed and how boards can embrace their new roles and responsibilities as they work to meet the challenges facing colleges and universities today. As institutions continue to evolve, so must the way boards operate. Boards are charged with overseeing an institution’s mission, vision, values, strategic direction, financial health, academic quality, student success, community engagement, diversity, inclusion, research, faculty development, campus safety, and more. Evolving with a holistic approach is more important now than it’s ever been.

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