Higher education is of growing public and political importance for society and the economy. Globalisation is transforming it from a local and national concern into one of international significance. In order to fulfil societal, governmental and business sector needs, many universities are aiming to (re-)position themselves. The book initially considers their “compass”. They aspire to transformational planning, mission and strategy in which social justice is important, people are not treated as mere means to an end, and traditional moral positions are respected. This transformational urge is sometimes vitiated by blunt demands of new public management that overlook universities’ potential for serving the public good. The volume then addresses universities’ success in meeting their targets. Often the challenge in evaluation is the need to reconcile tensions, for example between structure and pastoral care of students; institutional competition and collaboration; roles of academics and administrators; performance-based funding versus increased differentiation. Measurement is supposed to provide discipline, align institutional and state policy, and provide a vital impetus for change. Yet many of these measurement instruments are not fully fit for purpose. They do not take sufficient account of institutional missions, either of “old” or of specialist universities; and sophisticated measurement of the student experience requires massive resources. Change and positioning have become increasingly key elements of a complex but heterogeneous sector requiring new services and upgraded instruments.

This unique volume discusses the management of transformational change in higher education as a key element of success. With input from researchers, presidents, provosts, and other senior leaders of the higher education community, this edited volume explores transformational change in a range of institutions from small teaching and community colleges to large comprehensive research universities.

This is a compelling and important text that presents both the complexity and the barriers confronting higher education in this global moment. Solutions will prize innovation, resilient leadership unifying diverse campus subcultures, and most certainly intellectual and academic integrity. This text begins to outline the new agenda. Richard Guarasci, Wagner College, US In Transformational Change in Higher Education, the TIAA-CREF Institute has brought together some of today s best minds to address the issues that every educational leader and policy maker should be thinking about. The topics range from financing to competition to financial aid to costs and pricing to faculty turnover to accountability to the roles presidents and boards must play. Lessons in transformation are provided by respected leaders from all segments of higher education. George R. Boggs, American Association of Community Colleges, US This is essential reading for everyone who cares about the future of higher education and is a priceless reference for those who are its leaders. The conversations not only cover each issue from a national perspective but also consider the specific strategies that have been employed by individual institutions to address it. Thus the volume is at the same time both reflective and practical. Sharon P. Smith, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, US This volume delves into the financing of institutional operations with entrepreneurial leaders and is a useful addition to any university administrator s reading list if they are struggling with modern financial challenges. David W. Pershing, University of Utah, US The volume, part of the TIAA-CREF Institute Series on Higher Education, is based on a national conference, Transformational Change in Higher Education: Positioning Your Institution for Future Success, which was convened by the TIAA-CREF Institute in November 2006. This unique volume discusses the management of transformational change in higher education as a key element of success. With input from researchers, presidents, provosts, and other senior leaders of the higher education community, this edited volume explores transformational change in a range of institutions from small teaching and community colleges to large comprehensive research universities. The role of entrepreneurial leaders and their interactions with trustees, policymakers and the public, are discussed, as are strategic issues such as financing college and university operations and student access, as related to pricing. The editors maintain that managing change in these areas impacts both an institution s balance sheet and ultimate success in realizing its vision. In this book, higher education presidents, chancellors, provosts, CFOs and governing boards will find new and actionable information to enhance decision-making and inform strategic planning. Association leadership will be provided with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by their membership and possible responses. Researchers and practitioners in education, public policy, business, management and entrepreneurship interested in the business of higher education will find much of value.

This book explores how universities as organizations influence and construct the production of academic elites and elitist institutions. It analyzes the role played by the reorganization of higher education (HE) institutions, stimulated by new performance-based narratives aimed at building attractiveness towards stakeholders such as governments, prospective employers, academics, and students. Based on American, European, and Asian case studies of HE systems and institutions considered at various scales, the volume analyzes the consequences of increasing competition between HE institutions which are facing challenges such as the internationalization of higher education supply, the shortage of public resources and the structural changes of labor market demands. It argues that policy discourses and tools, as well as assessment devices such as rankings and accreditation, incentivize HE institutions to develop positioning strategies that contribute to stratification and the production of elites. It will be of great interest to students and researchers in the fields of higher education, sociology, and education policy.

How can Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) position themselves to be competitive in global market economies? How has widening participation affected the marketing of HEIs? What kind of students do employers want in the twenty-first century? The marketing of higher education has become a natural consequence of the market in which HEIs are created and function. The shift from government grant to fee income, the homogenization of institutions under the title, ‘University’, the rhetoric of diversification and the realization of competition for students based on reputation and brand (academic and otherwise) has driven institutions to embrace the market. This book is unique in considering these matters as well its attempt to examine the relationship between marketing and the education that is being marketed. These issues are global and touch on the very nature of the place of HEIs in society as well as how they need to position themselves to compete. The readership for this book includes those studying higher education management, as well as those interested in higher education policy issues, but it has something of interest for all those engaged in higher education today.

Tierney, University of Southern California; and the late J. Douglas Toma, University of Georgia

Re-visioning Community Colleges has the foresight into the shape that community colleges will likely take in the future. Their predictions are based on an analysis of the growth and innovation trajectory in community colleges as they respond to the dramatic changes in the field.

This book examines changing ways that academic work is governed—from outside and inside universities—in the shifting social, cultural and political contexts of new times. Chapters trace developments in institutions, national sectors, and internationally—all applying a global scope to identify significant shifts in the broader conditions of university operation.