Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!

Jan 30, 2017 · · Comments Off on Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!

Testifying before the U.S. Senate in 2013, University of Wisconsin professor Sara Goldrick-Rab described college campuses as “glorified summer camps.” She said administrators were “engaging in an arms race to have the most impressive bells and whistles.” That depiction may at first seem hyperbolic, but even a cursory glance at many of today’s college campuses … Continue reading “Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!”

Hot Tubs and Luxury Dorms and Climbing Walls, Oh, My!

Nov 21, 2016 · · Comments Off on Hot Tubs and Luxury Dorms and Climbing Walls, Oh, My!

All is not well on higher education’s financial front. At many colleges, tuition prices have reached record highs, enrollment is stagnant, revenues have flattened or declined, budgets are constricted, and regulatory compliance costs are skyrocketing. It would seem that in such an environment, university leaders would place a moratorium on all lavish spending initiatives—especially those … Continue reading “Hot Tubs and Luxury Dorms and Climbing Walls, Oh, My!”

Students in Space

Oct 30, 2012 · · Comments Off on Students in Space

Universities build a lot of classrooms, but use them infrequently.