Category Archives: Uncategorized

Posted on

Understanding the different types of colleges and universities

There are many different types of college and universities in the United States. Too often, we discuss higher education through the prism of selective and research institutions. Yet, we know that these types of institutions aren’t the norm, but instead are a very small percentage of all colleges and universities. In today’s post, I want to share the different criteria that can be used to identify differences between institutions. Understanding the different types of colleges and universities is important for graduate students and really anyone involved in higher education.

Photo credit: Eric Chan

The range of institutions present in the U.S. system of higher education is considered a major strength.

As I’ve discussed here as well as my monograph on the subject, institutional diversity is profoundly important for higher education to meet the multiple and, at times, conflicting goals placed on the system.

But how do we tell institutions apart?  What criteria and characteristics are most useful to consider?

Posted on

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope everyone had a great end of the semester and you are looking forward to an exciting new year.  Today, as is our tradition, we’re taking a break from discussing the current issues facing higher education and tips for how to be more productive.

Instead, as my present to you, I want to share my three favorite Christmas music videos.  Unlike that new pair of socks from Grandma each year, these never get old.

Take some time to relax and enjoy your family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

The Grinch

Charlie Brown Christmas Dance

John Denver and the Muppets sing 12 Days of Christmas

Posted on

Dark side of organizational culture

Organizational culture can help build a shared sense of values and support a consensus among organizational members. Indeed, much of the research explores the positive aspects of culture. Yet, as I discussed in my post on the sorority recruitment videos at the University of Alabama, culture can prove damaging and destructive as well. In today’s post, I want to share an excerpt from my article Witch-hunting at Crucible University:  The power and peril of competing organizational ideologies that appeared in the Journal of Higher Education in 2011.

Photo credit: Flickr Josh

Competing perspectives of organizational culture highlight the role of subcultures which can have quite divergent values and interests (Martin, 2002; Sackmann, 1992).

Subcultures may form around hierarchical rank or occupational position. In universities, the disparate histories and epistemological assumptions of various academic disciplines cause them to operate as independent “tribes” (Becher, 1989).

Posted on

Top 10 Posts from Higher Ed Professor

As we continue celebrating our first year, it’s time to look back at the best Higher Ed Professor posts.  I found it interesting to look back and see which posts seemed to connect most with people.  For those of you who are new, I hope these will be helpful.  If you’ve been here since the beginning, did your favorite make the list?

Here are the top Higher Ed Professor posts from our first year.