The higher education “international exchange rate” is unfavorable and improving at an alarmingly slow rate, given our need for graduates prepared for success in our contemporary global economy. There are basically two problems: not enough U.S. students are studying abroad and the opportunity to study abroad is disproportionately available to traditional students enrolled at private [...]
Continue Reading →Note: While on sabbatical, Dr. Comstock is working as the Director of the Executive Leadership Group at the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C.
After nearly a decade as a chief academic officer, I got used to people asking me my opinion on higher education issues. But now that I am working at the [...]
Continue Reading →Amid all the drama associated with the departure and reinstatement of the UVA President, there remains at least one generic plot line that merits additional analysis: What is the appropriate way to incorporate a business orientation into the ethos of higher education?
William W. Keep, Dean of the College of Business at the University of New Jersey, raised [...]
Continue Reading →Note: This post connects to the conversational thread started here in March, which focused on sharing lessons and insights about leadership challenges faced by CAOs and other senior administrators as we seek ways to ease the tension between our goals for access, completion rates, and educational quality.
One of the most direct ways to enhance [...]
Continue Reading →The past few weeks have been a time of reflection for me. My father died and my family experienced what all families do when they lose the man who provided for them, guided them, protected them, and — in my case — made sure we fully understood the value of a college education.
I’m “third [...]
Continue Reading →Finally, more people are making the connection: We must link access and quality in higher education if we are to fully address education as the key civil rights issue of our time.
Fortunately, those of us working on policy and program delivery designed to support “access” seem to be collectively making progress on that important national goal. On [...]
Continue Reading →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 →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 Jayne Marie Comstock
Jayne Marie 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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