The nation's community colleges play a key role in addressing the need to expand and diversify the STEM technological workforce. However, significant barriers must be overcome for the programs to meet the increasing demand for skilled employees. The programs are expensive to establish and maintain; community colleges are generally underfunded;…

With its unique perspective, this phenomenological study focused on the challenges college presidents face in fundraising at Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) institutions of higher education. As financial pressures grew, fundraising became a central responsibility for presidents, particularly in faith-based institutions where…

The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the perceptions of college presidents on their role in budgeting and finance. While most of the past research in this area has focused on how to engage and understand budget and finance practices, this chapter sought to highlight the perceptions of the roles of those involved in the process,…

Performance-funding for higher education diffused across the U.S. following the Great Recession that led to funding cuts for the system. Postsecondary funding never returned to pre-Recession levels, and public colleges are held to higher expectations even as the funding they might use to meet these expectations has diminished. This is a challenge…

This purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to identify culturally relevant fundraising strategies that can empower leaders of public, under-resourced, tuition dependent HBCUs on how to effectively reduce tuition dependence. University presidents and advancement professionals face a growing dilemma of identifying ways to strengthen…

As provost and then president of Princeton University, William G. Bowen (1933-2016) took on the biggest and most complex challenges confronting higher education: cost disease, inclusion, affirmative action, college access, and college completion. Later, as president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, he took his vision for higher education--and…

Funding for public higher education has been cut in Kentucky in the decade starting 2008 (Spalding, 2019). Due to several contributing factors, including entitlement programs, healthcare costs, the great recession, and other competing demands at the state level, this is a nationwide trend and is not predicted to reverse any time soon. This funding…

Oklahoma public comprehensive university presidents face many challenges. Among the top challenges is the quest for adequate funding of their institutions, including adequate levels of support from state resources. For Oklahoma's public comprehensive universities and their leaders, the low levels of public support by the state have become a…

Higher education institutions of all types are experiencing increased challenges related to acquiring financial resources to support educational initiatives. Executive leaders, particularly during periods of instability and crisis, are required to make decisions related to highly complex challenges that have the potential to influence the…

The transition of a college or university president is inevitable. Presidential tenure is becoming shorter and turnover becoming more commonplace at private and public higher educational institutions. Thriving higher education institutions rely on effective leadership to navigate critical areas such as enrollment, financial health, and…

Since 2008, the Louisiana state legislature has continually defunded public higher education. Decreased state funding has significant implications for public higher education, including decreased student access and college affordability. Overall, state funding for Louisiana higher education has decreased over $700 million resulting in a…

Stephen J. Nelson is professor of educational leadership at Bridgewater State University and Senior Scholar with the Leadership Alliance at Brown University. In this Q&A, "New England Journal of Higher Education" ("NEJHE") Executive Editor John O. Harney asks Nelson what lessons today's leaders could learn from his latest…

Performance-based funding (PBF) resurfaced in American higher education state funding planning after the 2008 recession. PBF is designed to address greater accountability of taxpayers' dollars and centered on the premise to be a vehicle for eliminating the workforce skills gap. This study reviews the scholarly research addressing the implications…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continue to contribute irrefutable value to higher education. The individuals leading HBCUs for over 180 years have endured many obstacles and setbacks. However, the men and women who assume the role of president commit to continuing the original missions of these institutions. Over the past two…

Many critics consider public institution presidents' compensation to be excessive, while others argue the money yields a return on investment in private fundraising and state appropriations. Our study asks whether presidential compensation at public, four-year institutions is associated with increased institutional revenue from state…