EdUp Insights

If you have traveled anywhere in the world, you have experienced the hassle of dealing with monetary exchange rates. A universal common currency, although a pipedream, would be a real godsend. But it’s not likely.  On the other hand, there is—or should be--a common currency that influences and enhances the social order by providing a civil forum in which to pursue different perspectives and world...

What happens when state governments and higher ed operate in silos? In this episode I’ll look at the current situation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and what it portends for similar circumstances as states and higher education systems struggle to align their missions and budgets to serve their constituents in turbulent times. In particular, I’ll look at how a lack of coordination and fiscal...

Academic freedom and tenure have long been hallmarks of higher education’s role as a dispassionate referee for society. These conventions intend to define and defend the rights of scholars to pursue knowledge and engage in open inquiry without undue external pressure. In this episode I’ll examine how these protections are faring in a society awash with discord around free speech, censorship and ge...

In the Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol” there is a message of hope for higher education. In this episode we’ll be visited by the Ghosts of Higher Ed Past, Present and Future.  I’ll discuss how we got from the “good old days” of higher education to where we are today, and what the future may hold, depending on the choices we make.  I’ll also look at some of the innovative initiatives both inside...

Higher education is a significant investment, up there with purchasing a home or a car. And as with all major investments, there are expectations about the anticipated return and about how that expected return will measure up against reality.  In this episode I’ll look at what influences student and graduate expectations and why the gap between expectations and reality exists.  I’ll also have a su...

The current condition of higher education presents an interesting look at its role in American society and society in general.  But it begs the question of how we got here. This kind of cultural inquiry has traditionally been the domain of archeology.  In this episode I’ll examine the current topography of higher ed and excavate several strata down to discover how the ecosystem has evolved from ea...

There is general agreement in higher education on where we are and where we want to go. The problem is how get from point A to point B, and more to the point, why institutions seem to get it wrong on a regular basis. In this episode I’ll examine some of the snags that plague the higher education planning process and offer some simple, modest suggestions on how to “re-think” the process.  I’ll also...

Well, at least nothing is impossible for the persons who don’t have to do it.  And in higher education that includes entrepreneurs and visionaries who identify the shortcomings of the current higher education and offer up high-level solutions that provide straightforward solutions to things like time to degree, accessibility, return on investment, and workforce needs. When I read such proposals, I...

In 1929 G.K. Chesterton provided a concise admonition about making decisions in life.  If you encounter a fence on the road, he advised, don’t take it down until you know why it was built in the first place.  In short, we need to understand how the status quo came to be before we change it. There may be a good reason for the fence, and removing it could have unintended consequences. In this episod...

In the last episode I looked at what is fueling the lack of confidence in higher education today and some of the basic decisions that will need to be made to restore the conviction that higher ed is vital to workforce success.  But another decision will need to be made to ensure that that the engine of higher education can continue to operate, namely a viable business model. The current not-for-pr...

A number of recent studies reveal a lack of confidence in the role of higher education in preparing students for the workforce.  Misgivings about the efficacy of higher education come in large part from the conflicting perspectives of employers, students, and even within the higher education community itself, on the value of education in society. In this episode I’ll look at several of these studi...

Hi, nice weather, eh? How about those Cubs?  Oh, by the way, have you heard?  The art of small talk is on the verge of extinction. Apparently, recent generations have replaced much of casual conversation with texts, Instagram and TikTok. But now they claim to be struggling with face to face interactions in personal and professional situations and are looking for help.  But is small talk really the...

Why does the whole issue of student loan forgiveness seem to be dragging on endlessly?  What has been happening and where is the whole process now?  In this episode I’ll review previous efforts and look at how we got to where we are now—in negotiated rulemaking. I’ll look at what negotiated rulemaking is, how it works, and where it is likely to end up.    EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part...

In every election cycle we are subjected to discussions about whether we should abolish the Department of Education. Are there substantive issues here, or are we all attending a football game where education is the football and the playing field is politics? In this episode I’ll look at the major issues that are raised.  Why would we want to abolish ED, how would that be done, and what would that...

Have you ever wondered why change in higher education seems to be so different from change in other sectors of society? Recently there has been discussion concerning whether changes in higher education like community colleges offering four-year degrees, shorter time to degree completion, and yes, online delivery are eroding academic rigor. But why we would assume that innovation and creativity wou...

 As 2023 winds down, I’ll take a look at some of the conspicuous issues that occupied higher education and what they portend for the future. I’ll start with some sage advice about how to better understand these concerns by filtering out the noise introduced by influences like social media, political posture, and the general proximity of lots of misinformation on the internet. It’s actually pretty...

The value and place of the humanities have been questioned as higher education looks to adapt itself to the priorities of a dynamic society.  In this episode I will argue that the value is in some measure dependent upon the place.  Specifically, higher ed has allowed the humanities to become an amorphous amalgam of disciplines that are difficult to identify or define as a cohesive set of subjects...

Higher education has a unique ability to act for the benefit of the pubic good, if can stand above the fray.  It should not, therefore, permit itself to be diverted into playing the role of a second-rate political force or influence.   In this episode I’ll look at how higher education can be a platform that challenges social values and policies without encouraging, fostering, or worse—participatin...

American culture is struggling with a variety of influences today that affect its ability to define a strategy to move the country forward in productive ways.  The tensions produced by wokeism, political ideology, and cancel culture are magnified through the lens of social media. This, in turn, impedes our ability to develop a cohesive culture that can drive a rational and focused strategy for adv...

In the last episode I looked at external factors influencing change in higher education. But there are also internal tensions that exacerbate the current turmoil and encumber higher ed’s ability to remain connected and relevant to society.  In this episode I’ll look at one of the chief offenders: the management structure of higher education. I’ll explain how the current structure—which also the ol...

Higher education is undeniably going through a transformation.  But what exactly is causing it?  There is a diversity of opinions as to what has brought us to the current volatile condition of the education industry.  In this episode I’ll look at some of the variety of perspectives on the root causes of change and the major external forces at play as higher ed struggles to remain viable and releva...

The student loan/debt relief picture is as muddy as ever.  In this episode I’ll outline three basic categories that are currently in play and the status of each. They include the borrower defense category, the 2020 campaign promise category, and the recent category announced by the Biden administration.  Spoiler alert: There is no good news for borrowers in any of these categories.  I’ll explain w...

There are numerous examples of higher education not being able to get out of its own way in order to serve students. Some of my favorites (not) are barriers to transfer of credit among institutions and the craziness involved in accessing Title IV funding. Another repeat offender is the issue of duplicative programs.  This issue comes in two basic flavors.  One that is found in a number of states i...

All across the higher ed landscape, institutions are faced with choices on how to move forward—or not—in the face of persistent headwinds. Some colleges and universities have simply chosen to close their doors in the face of financial hardship.  Others have opted to downsize or pursue mergers. Still others have looked to significant restructuring, like West Virginia University.  With the exception...

Higher education is increasingly earning low grades in the execution of mergers, acquisitions and partnerships.  And that doesn’t even include school closures, which rate a solid “F.”  Why are we struggling so much in an effort to find a new way forward for higher education? Maybe it’s because we lack a solid curriculum that provides a template for implementation and assessment of these various ac...