Dive Brief:
- Juniata College President James Troha has a background in student affairs and university relations, which has shaped his perspective on serving students, increasing faculty diversity, and pitching donors.
- In a video interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education, Troha says students and parents feel entitled to certain amenities and services given their major investment in the cost of college, and administrators should be careful to listen, but not pander.
- Managing expectations in the admissions and recruitment process is one way to ensure a good fit for enrolled students, and Troha encourages presidents to become a visible presence on campus, developing relationships with students, which he says is also key to raising money — developing relationships that can inspire donors to give.
Dive Insight:
An annual survey of incoming freshmen found this year’s cohort is more likely to protest than any other freshman class in 50 years. Students are empowered, and in some ways it feeds off a sense of entitlement that they should be able to effect changes on campus. Troha pointed to the size of the investment in college that develops this sense of entitlement. As college costs rise, along with average student debt, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which this trend reverses.
Many colleges have built new amenities like climbing walls and lazy rivers, adding air conditioning to dorm rooms, planting more elaborate gardens, and finding better food for the dining halls to attract students. In 2014, Forbes called it an “amenities arms race” in higher education. While these amenities are easy to point to as lavish spending, students often foot the bill, and gladly. The fine line between best serving students and pandering to them, however, is a challenging one to respect in an age of such competition.