Recently a thoughtful academic leader asked me if I thought there was a tension between the goal to promote “access” and the aspiration to deliver “quality” in higher education.
It’s a good question.
I started this blog last September so it could be the nexus where quality and access could meet on equal ground. I [...]
Continue Reading →If we had been paying more attention, we could have stopped the “credit creep” legislative train before it left the station. And, it was our job to do so.
The Indiana State legislature recently jumped into the “credit creep” locomotion through HB 1200, which establishes limits on the number of credit hours that can [...]
Continue Reading →Last week about 2,000 academics from around the country gathered for the AAC&U annual meeting to talk about how we can and should Reclaim a Democratic Vision for College Learning, Global Engagement, and Success.
I was proud to be a part of that conversation as one of six representatives from institutions in the New American [...]
Continue Reading →The beginning of a new semester always energizes me. Despite all of the frantic last-minute course preparations and start-of-the semester programming, most academics I know delight in the opportunity to renew their old course plans, launch new course or program ideas, and reinvest in the work we do best — fully engaging students so [...]
Continue Reading →This is the time of year when people make a special effort to be of service to others less fortunate and to the organizations that serve the greater good.
Although the annual advent of the holiday season may re-ignite feelings of social responsibility, a true personal commitment to serve does not come by chance [...]
Continue Reading →Diversity in higher education matters in more ways than one.
There is an inextricable link among the higher-education values of “quality, access, and diversity.” Messages linking these three values have captured ink space, airtime, and cyberspace, and also have been trumpeted from plenary-session podiums across the country during the fall annual meeting season.
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Continue Reading →So many people have opinions about what counts as quality higher education that we need to parse them into categories in order to keep the arguments straight.
With a Dimensions of Quality schema, people could make cleaner arguments and also note when dimensions are interrelated. These Quality Dimensions could include: Content, Pedagogical Strategies [...]
Continue Reading →About This Blog
We need a national conversation about what it means to say that every US citizen -- regardless of demographic category -- should have access to quality higher education. Access involves readiness, opportunity, and support. Quality involves essential content, challenge, and engagement. This conversation is the place where access and quality intersect.
Join us as we probe the relationship between quality higher education and issues of affordability, globalization, civic engagement, and practical relevance.
When we do great things for education, we realize the great things education can do for our students, our cities, our country, and our world.
About Jamie Comstock
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Butler University (on sabbatical Spring 2012), Jamie Comstock, PhD, writes and speaks frequently about quality assurance and assessment in academic programs, strategic planning in higher education, and practices that enhance student engagement and retention.
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