This document summarizes an interview with an administrator at a private liberal arts college. The administrator discusses how the institution's culture has shifted from one of change to one focused on managing financial restrictions and weighing risks versus rewards. Government influences such as changes in federal financial aid have impacted the diversity of the student body. The administrator aims to foster citizenship and serve society through holistic learning opportunities like civic engagement and global scholarship programs.

1. NAVIGATING THE FIELD
OF HIGHER EDUCATION:
AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE
Andrew F. Roberts EDU 6201: Landscape of Higher Education June
24, 2014

2. About the Interviews
 The Administrator
 Will remain anonymous throughout
 Administrative Dean and AVP of Students
 Employee for 12 years
 Graduate of the institution
 The Institution
 2,500 undergraduate; 3,800 total
 Private Liberal Arts school
 Suburban, New England campus

3. Talking Points
 Institutional Culture and Structure
 Shifts within the two
 Governmental Influences
 Federal
 State
 Fostering citizenship, serving society
 Role of institution
 Role of students

4. Institutional Culture and Structure
 Initial Culture of change
 Turn in culture
 Financial restrictions
 Risk vs. Reward
 Potential impacts
 Competition
 Institutions vs. Innovative tech
 (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2014)
 Missed opportunities?

5. Institutional Culture and Structure
 Decision-Making Process
 President’s Staff
 “Behind closed doors”
 Adherence to Strategic Plan
 Focus on institutional goals
 Developing intricate strategies
to reach goals (Hendrickson,
Lane, Harris, & Dorman, 2013,
p. 25)
 Impact on culture

6. Governmental Influences
 Federal aid to students
 Increase in funding
 Late 1990s
 Diversification of campus community
 Decline in late 2000s
 Dean suggests decrease draws students away from
private institutions (personal communication, May 8,
2014)
 Positive influence
 Funding of research projects
 Real world application of learning

7. Governmental Influences
 State Involvement
 Funding to private sector
 MA funding to private institutions (Hendrickson,
et al., 2013, p. 129)
 Opportunities for programming, student affairs
 Restrictions as a private
 State scholarships
 Restricting diversity on campus
 Social contract (Woodbury, 2005, p. 25)

8. Fostering citizenship, serving society
 “Higher learning should exist for the
betterment of society and the promotion
of democratic ideas” (Hendrickson, et
al., 2013, p. 179)
 Dean’s goal of bettering students to better the
world
 Holistic approach to learning
 Civic engagement
 Ethical, liberal/professional requirements
 Global Scholars

9. The Upshot
 Just a glimpse into the field
 An unavoidable shift
 What the future holds

10. References
 Eyler, J., & Giles, J. (1999). Where's the learning in service-learning? San
Francisco: Jossey- Bass.
 Garcia, N., & Longo, N. V. (2013). Going Global: Re-Framing Service-
Learning in an Interconnected World. Journal Of Higher Education
Outreach And Engagement, 17(2), 111-135
 Hendrickson, R., Lane, J., Harris, J. & Dorman, R. (2013). Academic
leadership and governance of higher education : a guide for trustees,
leaders, and aspiring leaders of two- and four-year institutions. Sterling, Va:
Stylus.
 Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., Freeman, A. (2014). NMC
Horizon Report: 2014 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New
Media Consortium.
 Woodbury, R. L. (2005). Hardening Class Lines: The Erosion of the Social
Contract in Higher Education. Connection: The Journal Of The New
England Board Of Higher Education, 20(2), 25-28