Title

Of Boards and the Discourse of Doom

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Department 1

Philosophy

Abstract

The many challenges facing higher education should be met with sound judgment and creativity, not alarm or a climate of fear. Boards, especially, have an obligation to respond in this manner and to project confidence to the campus community.

Boards must be hopeful but realistic about their institution’s prospects, and their realism should be data-informed, but not data-driven.

Board members should lend their voices to those of parents and alumni in proclaiming education to be a public good. These voices from outside the institution (and not just within) can strengthen the understanding of policy makers of the inherent value of an educated citizenry.

Comments

Originally published in the March/April 2016 issue of Trusteeship magazine and available online at https://www.agb.org/trusteeship/2016/marchapril/of-boards-and-the-discourse-of-doom#.

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