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How to choose the right doc program in higher ed

I meet with a number of master’s students and prospective doctoral students considering getting their doctorate in higher education. There are many programs out there that offer various types of Ed.D. and Ph.D. degrees. I’ve previously discussed the difference between an Ed.D. and Ph.D. In today’s post, I want to share some things to consider in how to choose the right doc program in higher ed.

Photo credit: Elliott Brown

Higher education doctoral programs are different from other disciplines because many students have never formally studied higher education. As a result, I believe students struggle in comparing programs and deciding what kinds of programs might be the best fit.

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Are we sacrificing effectiveness for efficiency in higher ed?

Higher education finds itself facing many challenges. In particular, questions about college costs, student debt, and public funding remain at the top of the higher education public policy agenda. I’ve been thinking a great deal about the issue of effectiveness versus efficiency. I’m increasingly concerned that in the push to lower costs, reduce public subsidies and improve internal operations that we are approaching a dangerous line: Are we sacrificing effectiveness for efficiency in higher education?

Photo credit: Ben Sutherland
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Teaching with humor: Lessons from the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a wonderful teacher. The same could be said for Pope Francis and many religious leaders. I had the privilege to hear the Dalai Lama during his visit to SMU’s campus. He shared his belief in humanity and the power of compassion and happiness.  Of course, these are themes His Holiness frequently discusses. What struck me most throughout the event was the degree to which he obviously believes in teaching with humor. Despite the well-known benefits of teaching with humor, I believe we don’t do this enough in college teaching.

From the nearly the moment he took the stage to the end (pictured above), the Dalai Lama used humor to bring in and connect with the audience.

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Everyone is in the idea business

Everyone is in the idea business.

You may make or sell something else, but you are in the idea business.

Photo credit: Caleb Roenigk

 

Today’s economy values and rewards knowledge more than production. The changes created by an increasingly flat world require companies to be nimble, innovative, and forward-thinking.

Of the 500 companies listed on the first edition of the Fortune 500 in 1955, 87% are no longer on the list.

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Higher education’s interactions with the environment

Higher eduction institutions act as open systems interacting with a variety of stakeholders and environmental factors that influence their behaviors and activities. These interactions are critical in helping develop and support the institutional diversity that exists in American higher education. Having diversity in the types of institutions allows higher education to serve multiple needs and missions. In today’s post, I want to share an excerpt from my monograph on institutional diversity describing how these interactions play out and their value to the higher education system.

Photo credit: Antony Stanley

Students, faculty, administrators, broader economic trends, state legislators, alumni, federal policy, and demographic changes represent only a few of the inputs into the higher education system.