Dive Brief:
- Inside Higher Ed reports on a new book which is challenging the construct and objectives of the contemporary American faculty, and the impact it could have on the global scope of the higher education industry.
- "The Faculty Factor: The American Academy in a Turbulent Era," suggests that rising costs of higher education are now clashing with elements of diversity, shared governance, technological infusion, and specialization.
- The book also calls for a mandate on faculty retirement, which is a major part of the economic realities impacting leadership planning and institutional financial outlook.
Dive Insight:
This book analyzes the details of simple prospects which are changing the face of higher education; stock and investment portfolios are shrinking along with revenue generating resources, while an increasing number of students unprepared for and unable to afford higher education are looking for it. These elements put college faculty, who long suffer with uneven wages and increasing demands from administrative and social perspectives, to carry the burden.
There are no easy solutions to figure out how to serve more customers with fewer resources with which to improve an academic product, but perhaps the conversation begins with more schools recognizing the bubble that is about to burst industry-wide, and having honest conversations with stakeholders about how to lessen the impact of the blast for students, employees and communities.