The ever-expanding role of marketing and its increasing influence as a primary driver for colleges and universities to grow awareness and consideration, invite applications, and deliver enrollment yield is more critical and relied on than ever. The marketing function's rise to prominence in higher education is fueled by many external forces,…

"Elite" and "flagship" are two influential groupings used to conceptualize differences among higher education institutions, but rarely defined. We derive common features attributed to these groupings from a content analysis of 40 years of higher education literature. Next, we explore the relationship of these features to other…

This paper examines the mechanisms through which higher education institutions (HEIs) explore, focusing on organizational status and institutional logic. We hypothesize that the exploration mechanisms differ depending on the public and private sectors. Revisiting middle-status conformity, we assert that the U-shaped relationship is stronger for…

Is the ideal of a one-size-fits-all university model--where universities are capable of successfully performing all competencies simultaneously--ever achievable? Has the balance between teaching and research activities grown even more fragile or is such a balance unfeasible? In this paper, we review studies of institutional diversity in higher…

Titled professorships have existed within higher education since the creation of the first endowed professorship at Harvard College in 1721. Yet, only in the last one hundred years have titled professorships become a regular part of higher education nomenclature on a national scale. Neither the total number of titled professorships nor the total…

The internationalization of universities has become increasingly important in recent decades. A dominant internationalization model, influenced by principles of new public management, has emerged. Latin American universities have undergone significant changes as a result of this trend. This paper takes inspiration from the sociology of translation…

This study shows findings of an investigation into the forms of institutionalizing academic rankings as accountability tools for Brazilian public universities. The absence of institutional conditions which allowed the rise of these league tables in other countries - competitive admission markets and incorporation into public policies - evinces the…

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between student engagement, brand image, student satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, the study intends to explore the mediating role of student satisfaction in the relationship between engagement and loyalty as well as brand image and loyalty in the context of higher education. A…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the sustainability dimensions reported on the websites of public and private universities in Ghana, an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach: The universities in Ghana were categorized under public and private universities. The top five under each category were chosen (by Edu Rank's…

Following major strategic policy reforms and transformations in the higher education sector, branding as a strategic resource has become an integral part of the strategic decisions of higher education institutions (HEIs). However, despite a plethora of studies about HEI branding, very little is known about university brand evangelists as an…

Our study uses a qualitative comparative analysis method in order to assess the impact of national accreditation schemes and also other relevant features of the higher education systems of 20 OECD countries on quality of the higher education sector measured by world rankings of national higher education systems. The analysis shows that higher…

Surprisingly, public universities in Virginia have larger diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracies than taxpayer-funded universities in any other state. George Mason University, which has a reputation as a right-of-center institution, has 7.4 DEI personnel per 100 tenure-track faculty, which is the highest of any public university in…

Higher education is often framed as a means to social mobility and increased earnings. However, the value of university education in the United States is coming under scrutiny in regard to its costs. This article examines a university education's return on investment (ROI) from attending different types of universities in the United States. Unlike…

This qualitative, evaluative case study details the conceptual framing, development, delivery, and assessment of a privacy literacy workshop called Digital Shred. The workshop is a multi-institutional effort offered initially in-person in fall 2019 and adapted to virtual delivery in fall 2020. The conceptual framework underlying the workshop…

Higher education institutions (HEIs) often function in an environment where various institutional pressures force them to position themselves on a national-international orientation scale in order to gain legitimacy in the eyes of different constituents with different expectations. Empirical insights, however, on how HEIs respond to these forces…