The President's Role in Positive Town and Gown Relations

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Free Audiocast (for SCUP members): "The President’s Role in Cultivating Positive Town-Gown Relations"

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Join a great (virtual) conversation on Wednesday, November 11 at 1 pm Eastern. It's free for SCUP members and only $49 for others.

President Lawrence V. Weill of Gordon College will discuss his recent Planning for Higher Education article, The President's Role in Cultivating Positive Town-Gown Relations, with several senior SCUP leaders, including Planning for Higher Education executive editor Tom Longin, former SCUP presidents L. Carole Wharton, consultant, and Sal D. Rinella, STRATUS/Heering International, as well as 2010-11 SCUP president Joan Racki, Iowa State Board of Regents.

Enjoy listening it at a late or early lunch with colleagues. You can ask questions via a Live Chat.

Find out more: http://www.scupconversations.org/. (You can download the article at that link to read in preparation.) Register now to ensure availability.

P.S. If you haven't enjoyed a SCUP Virtual Conversation yet, you're missing a lot. Typical audience reactions:

"A terrific way to be informed by the experts and network with a family of educators sharing common concerns and questions." - Stan Plewe, Vice President, Dixie State College of Utah

"Winning combination of critical topics, industry experts and audience Q&A—all from the ease of my office!" - Kristie Hester, Marketing Services Manager, Charter Builders, LTD

Book: Out In Front: The College President as the Face of the Institution

Active SCUP member Laurence V. Weill, president of Gordon College (GA), has recently edited a book of chapters written by himself and others about the many somewhat personal issues that arise for a college president involving the wider campus-area community. What does it mean to be the face that most of the community associates with the college or university? It's a must-read for checklists and advice on the pitfalls and promises of being such a public face - whether president or not.

The Iron Triangle: College Presidents Talk about Costs, Access, and Quality

From the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and Public Agenda, comes this late 2008 report. The structure of the introduction tells you something about the contents of the report: "Higher education in changing times"; "Are we headed for dialogue or for stalemate?"; 'A missing pre-condition for dialogue"; "An investment worth paying for"; "Are you listening to us?"; "A dangling conversation?"; "Expected and unexpected views."

Three key insights emerged from these conversations—one expected, the other two less so. The first is that, as one might have anticipated, our respondents were incredibly thoughtful, informed, and articulate; they drew from a wide range of experience from their own institutions, from other institutions where they had served, and from their participation in national and regional professional associations. The second factor, initially less anticipated, is that none of them was the least surprised by our questions. Indeed, we began each interview by asking the respondents to list his or her issues of greatest concern. For the most part, the presidents began by listing some version of our three main topics: college costs, access, and quality. In some cases, the presidents even conducted parts of the interview for us, following up their own statements by saying, “But you will probably ask me…” The third observation is that there was a great deal of commonality in the way the presidents perceived the issues. Just as it’s possible to put a number of photographs together to create a composite picture, the college presidents’ responses—taken together—can be summarized by a composite view. While few of the presidents would wholeheartedly agree with all of this composite (and some would endorse very little of it), most of the presidents we interviewed resonated with much of it.

Barack Obama's Higher Education Platform

Here is a collection from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities of statements from, the voting record of, and pre-election media reports about President-Elect Barack Obama's positions on higher education-related issues.

The Election and Higher Education: Some Early Reactions

Note: All of the current SCUP Links which pertain to election news, and which appear in the November 6 issue of "SCUP Email News," are in this single blog post.

Here is an early collection of several news sources with perspectives on what the recent federal (and state and local) elections might mean for higher education:

America Gets a Professor in Chief (The Chronicle of Higher Education): "The 2008 presidential election has broken so many political barriers that historians may overlook one unusual fact: When Barack Obama takes the oath of office next January alongside his running mate, Joe Biden, it will be the first time in history that the president, vice president, and both of their spouses have worked in higher education."

Obama Win Could Hit Recruitment of Foreign Students (The Guardian): "The US will look a lot more attractive, especially in the face of tighter UK visa rules."

Obama on Higher Ed (Inside Higher Ed): "President-elect has called for reform of loan programs, a tuition tax credit in exchange for service, new investments in research, and a broader concept of affirmative action."

Good Showing for Higher Ed Ballot Measures (Inside Higher Ed): "Despite recent downturn in U.S. economy, voters show some support for higher ed, approving key bond measures for community colleges — and reject a Massachusetts tax plan that would have devastated public colleges."

Turning a Page (Inside Higher Ed): "What should the president-elect study between now and the inauguration? Scott McLemee presents a reading list."

Application, U.S. Secretary of Education (Inside Higher Ed): "Wick Sloane offers the presidential candidates his one-year plan for a federal role in education when most attention will be elsewhere."

As Democrats Strengthen Grip on Congress, Key GOP Lawmaker Ousted (Inside Higher Ed): Rep. Ric Keller of Florida, senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, and an avid supporter of Pell Grants, defeated.

Obama, Helped by Youth Vote, Wins Presidency and Makes History (The Chronicle of Higher Education): Includes a section on policy priorities and higher education challenges.

Democrats Win Big in Congressional Races but Face Spending Constraints (The Chronicle of Higher Education): "Practically speaking, that means 'things that cost money are going to take longer to accomplish,' said Becky Timmons, assistant vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education."

Obama's Possible Candidates for Education Secretary (The Chronicle of Higher Education): "Even if higher education is not Mr. Obama's top priority when choosing an education secretary, he still might want someone with a higher-education background, said Shirley M. Hufstedler, chosen by President Jimmy Carter as the nation's first education secretary."

Ban on Preferences Succeeds in Nebraska; Colorado Measure Remains Undecided (The Chronicle of Higher Education): "Those measures were among 19 referenda related to higher education that voters in 15 states were deciding on Tuesday. The ballot questions included proposals to create state lotteries to finance scholarships and questions about whether to issue bonds to pay for campus construction."

Results of State Referenda Related to Higher Education (The Chronicle of Higher Education): Access to this resource is protected for Chronicle subscribers.

State-Level Races Shape Education Landscape (Education Week): "In an election year dominated by a historic race for president, state-level candidates and issues struggled to compete for attention. But the stakes were high. The gloomy economic climate will pose big challenges for governors and legislatures in crafting state spending, about half of which typically goes to K-12 and higher education. " Access to more than the introduction to this resource is protected for Education Week subscribers.

Obama Elected 44th President (Education Week): "The Democrat’s agenda includes expanding preschool, recruiting teachers, increasing funding for charter schools, and amending the No Child Left Behind Act." Access to more than the introduction to this resource is protected for Education Week subscribers.

WEDNESDAY BUZZ: Obama Elected President, Higher Education Pledges Support in Addressing the Country's Challenges (ACE): From American Council on Education President Molly Corbett Broad:

"The American Council on Education congratulates President-elect Barack Obama on his historic election as the 44th president of the United States. I know that I speak for college and university presidents across the country in wishing him well as he starts his new administration in January.

Our nation faces a clear set of national and international challenges. That daunting list includes preserving peace and security in an increasingly interdependent world, revitalizing and sustaining a strong economy, and expanding educational opportunity in order to maintain America’s research and innovation edge. I can assure President-elect Obama that more than 3,000 American colleges and universities stand ready to assist his administration in addressing our society’s most pressing needs. We in higher education look forward to working together to meet the challenges of the next decade."