Teachers affect a student’s achievement two to three times more than any other factor at school, according to a study from RAND. Research published in the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education suggests that professors, too, significantly influence student success and college dropout rates. While teachers and professors can transform students’ lives, they face formidable challenges. Long hours, solitary work, and lack of autonomy can place undue stress on them and compromise their potential to make a positive impact. Two-thirds of faculty participants in a study reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education said they felt “very” […]

Though men still hold the majority of executive leadership positions in higher education, women represent more than half of administrators overall, according to a study from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Women in higher education leadership bring unique skills to bear on their approach to leading — skills honed by navigating the competing demands of their gender and their occupation. Women in Higher Education: Stats and Trends The number of women in higher education leadership is on the rise, but that is a relatively recent development. In the not-so-distant past, women couldn’t attend most colleges and universities […]

The United States higher education system is in a state of evolution. As the Pew Research Center reports, state and federal government funding has shifted, with state investments in colleges and universities declining and federal support growing. Additionally, there is the expanding role of technology in education: According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, cutting-edge tools such as virtual reality will change how, when, and where students learn (for instance, by further promoting the growing trend toward distance learning). Finally, universities and colleges are facing greater calls to support diversity and inclusion across their student bodies. […]

Colleges and universities thrive when guided by dedicated higher education professionals. In particular, department chairs and deans take on administrative challenges that determine the future success of their schools. Department chairs work as professors who also perform administrative duties. They set the department curriculum, interview potential new professors, manage faculty schedules, settle faculty and student disputes, and sometimes oversee research. In this role, the department chair liaisons between a department and the administration, reporting to the dean. Department Chair Salaries and Job Outlook The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not have a specific category for postsecondary department chairs. […]

The authoritarian style of leadership no longer has the influence it once did in classrooms or businesses. This shift is particularly important in higher education, where faculty and staff have the potential to influence thousands of students. Why Leadership Styles Matter How leaders act plays a major role in the environments they create. Poor leaders can destroy morale and hold an entire business back from reaching its potential. Strong leadership can push a group of successful employees to new heights. In higher education, leadership styles at the top have a direct impact on students. Professors who feel motivated by their […]

Working in a college or university is a dream job for many academics. There, they pass their knowledge along to their students, and in many instances, they can pair teaching with research. Once they’ve earned an advanced degree in a specific discipline and often several years of work experience, they may be able to gain an adjunct, full-time, or even tenure-track position. However, after several years of working as a full-time professor, they might realize they could do even more in a different position in higher education. Department head, admissions director, college administrator, and other roles in higher education all […]

Virtually every success—regardless of one’s occupation—can be achieved through leadership. How do people get ahead in their careers? Leadership. When tensions flare, how do cooler heads prevail? Again, through leadership, displaying the kinds of characteristics that have come to define this highly sought-after personality trait. Discipline In a publication titled Leadership Lessons, produced by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, former university administrator James Wagner noted there at least five characteristics that are instrumental to roles in higher education. Chief among them is discipline.Discipline is manifested through a strict code of conduct that’s usually needed to accomplish […]