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Curricular Domains and Guiding Questions

The institute will cover multiple topical domains over the course of the week. Domains include:

1. Nature and Function of Higher Education

• What European traditions and historical events have shaped the U.S. system of higher education, and how do those precedents influence current decisions, policies, and opportunities?
• Which critical social, economic, political, and technological facts and trends are most important for contemporary U.S. higher education?
• What books and articles should be on the reading lists of every higher education leader?

2. Institutional Leadership and Implementing Change

• What are the key competencies of academic leaders?
• What political capabilities are essential for higher education leaders?
• What role is played by symbolic and cultural factors in institutional leadership? 

3. Organization and Governance

• What unique challenges distinguish higher education management from for-profit management?
• How do university structures influence the decision-making process on campus?
• What historical influences have shaped the governance structures of modern colleges and what are the implications of this?

4. Advancement Management

• What is two-symmetrical communication and what are its implications for advancement?
• How do I prepare for a potential institutional crisis and what public relations strategies might prove most effective in surviving such a crisis?
• What techniques might one use to evaluate division and individual performance? 

5. Public Policy and Higher Education

• Is higher education a public or private good?  What are contemporary views on the “public good”?
• How do policy innovations diffuse across state lines and how does this influence state-level higher education policy?
• What impending changes in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act might have immediate repercussions for my institution? 

6. Finance and Budgeting

• What are the different budgeting strategies used by colleges and universities, and what are the advantages/disadvantages of each?  e.g., does incentives-based budgeting and management work, and if so, what are some of the risks?
• What approaches might an institution use to diversify resources?
• How are resources allocated with in colleges and universities? What strategies might institutions use to move allocation processes toward greater efficiency and effectiveness?
• How are successful institutions dealing with high levels of deferred maintenance on campus?
• Can business techniques like cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis be useful in higher education settings? 

7. Student Issues

• How might one measure longitudinal effectiveness of recruitment programs?
• What are the stages embedded within the college choice process?
• What are the differences between high tuition/high aid models and low tuition/low aid models, and what effects do each have?
• What is the relationship between access, equity, and excellence?

8. Legal Issues Facing Higher Education

• What have been the outcomes of the Gruder decision for colleges and universities?
• When do statements made by faculty exceed the reasonable protections of academic freedom?
• What is the current status of the law as it relates to race-based policies in admissions and financial aid?