On July 14, 2021, the Pennsylvania State Universities Board of Governors collectively approved a proposal to merge six Pennsylvania state universities. The three institutions in the West were California, Clarion, and Edinboro. Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield were consolidated in the Northeast. The board then hosted a publicly available…

Over 300,000 Chinese students are studying in the U.S., making China the top country of international origin with 31.2 percent of all U.S. international students (IIE, 2015). In addition, 2015 saw a 10 percent increase in international students in the U.S., a statistic that underscores the assumption that globally mobile students regard the U.S.…

The affordability of a degree from a public university is the subject of much heated debate in the halls of many state governments. The taxpayer, as well as the individual paying tuition, is asking the question: What is the return on investment for the millions of dollars used to support public higher education? The taxpayer views public…

In an era of diminished state and community resources for higher education, community college alumni are increasingly viewed as an undefined and untapped source of support by their alma maters. Community college presidents and advancement professionals find themselves faced with the dilemma of how to develop and define meaningful and philanthropic…

This qualitative single-site case study examined the philosophy, decisions, and behaviors of a particular male school principal who subscribed to a form of care-based leadership practice. A Pennsylvania high school principal with a distinct leadership philosophy centered on the ethic of care was chosen to participate in this study. The purpose of…

The field of higher education attracts many talented, ambitious professionals who are inspired to work in this sector because of opportunities to support the academic, personal, and professional development of students. It is an irony that more attention is not paid to the professional and leadership development of administrative talent in…

This dissertation follows the trajectory of two football programs, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Pennsylvania, primarily from the perspective of administrators. It spans roughly forty years, from 1930 to the early 1970s. At first glance, these two schools may seem unlikely points of comparison, but viewed together they provide…

This study sought to ascertain the specific motivations behind doctoral alumni giving. Most U.S. colleges and universities depend on alumni giving to supplement revenues from tuition and governmental support; however, relatively little alumni giving is generated from PhD graduates. The result is untapped revenue for doctoral-granting institutions.…