Program Overview:
Two stark examples provide reasons for renewed attention to the future of higher education. First, colleges and universities are facing unprecedented state and federal government funding cuts and interventions regarding academic policies protected by Supreme Court decisions, including “Dartmouth College v. Woodward” (1819) and “Sweezy v. New Hampshire” (1957). The protections established in these cases provide the foundation for Institutional autonomy.
Both decisions affirmed that universities must remain free from government interference in what to teach, who may teach, how subjects may be taught, and who will be taught. Each decision recognized that institutional independence is fundamental to academic freedom, educational excellence, and the fulfillment of fiduciary duties.
Second, the decline in the number of traditional-aged high school graduates, reduced international applications, and concerns about the costs and benefits of higher education, even contrary to the evidence, have resulted in pressures on higher education enrollment. At least 79 public and private colleges have closed, merged, or announced closures or mergers since March 2020.
These challenges, government interference and enrollment declines, require university leaders to be committed to the mission, clear about their responsibilities, vigilant in performing their duties, and prepared for shifts in their operating environment. The participants in HERC are key members of the teams responsible for these strategies and results.
Presenter’s Bio:
Dr. Robert A. Scott is President Emeritus and University Professor Emeritus of Adelphi University, where he served from July 2000 to July 2015. He also is President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he served from 1985 to 2000. He earned his BA in English at Bucknell University and his PhD in Sociology at Cornell University.
Following his retirement from Adelphi, Dr. Scott served as Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. He also served as a Visiting Scholar at the New York Public Library. His award-winning book, How University Boards Work, was published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2018. A second edition is scheduled for publication on April 21. His latest book, Letters to Students: What It Means to Be a College Graduate, co-written with Dr. Drew Bogner, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in August 2024. He has published hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews in professional and popular journals and newspapers. His column, MY TURN, won “Best Column” honors from the New York Press Association 2023.
An expert on governance and leadership, he advises boards and coaches leaders on issues of governance, leadership, strategy, community engagement, assessment, risk, and succession planning. He also serves as Senior Advisor to Grant Thornton’s higher education and non-profit practice areas and is Senior Consultant with AGB Consulting.