Unlike other industries, in higher education an institution's most important asset is its reputation. Yet as fundamental as it is, many leaders continue to view managing reputation as dishonest and counterproductive, a suspect process that undermines the very idea of reputation as an organic outcome of reality. When leadership credibility is on…

The reputation of higher education has been tarnished by some well-publicized incidents of unethical behavior in the academy. When the university's internal politics lack integrity and honor and its players succumb to competition among institutions, higher education relinquishes its moral leadership. Unethical behavior can only be solved at the…

A good reputation goes hand in hand with a university's "brand," which in essence is the promise the institution makes to all of its constituencies. A brand is appreciably more than an attractive logo, reinforcing colors, and compelling admission brochures (though all of these reflect it). If properly thought through and developed from the inside…

In this article, the author argues that American higher education is allowing itself to be held hostage by the rankings industry, which can lead institutions to consider actions harmful to the public interest and encourage the public's infatuation with celebrity at the expense of substance. Instead of sitting quietly by during the upcoming ratings…

By identifying and weighing the effects of an act on each constituency, a matrix based on John Stuart Mill's theories of utilitarianism illuminates and helps resolve complex ethical dilemmas. Application of the approach is illustrated with a simulated case study concerning the issue of reputation in a small private college. (Author/MSE)

In a university's time of crisis, reporters will often attempt to catch the president and board members in conflicting responses in order to develop a "gotcha" news story. It is important for leaders not to take the bait. In times of crisis, board members and institutional leaders must not only control the message and flow of…