Inside the Black Box Schools, Centers, Degrees, and Curricula

This chapter goes inside academic institutions and describes schools, centers, institutes, degree programs, and administrative units that comprise a university. We also discuss how curriculum is created and updated, as well as innovations in teaching and pedagogy.

American Colleges and Universities

This chapter explores the differences among different types of colleges and universities, including large and small, public and private, and different missions (e.g., research versus doctoral versus baccalaureate institutions). Also discussed are the different market segments that academic institutions target.

Recommendations for Business and University Collaboration

Business people have much to offer colleges and universities, because of the many similarities between the two kinds of organizations. They are used to managing budgets, devising strategies, responding to changing environments, and many other activities that are crucial to universities. It is the synergy between business perspectives and academic perspectives that has the potential to dramatically change universities for the better. This chapter provides specific recommendations for how businesspeople can more effectively help academic institutions though board service or other academic or administrative leadership roles. Also provided is a real-world example of public/private partnerships, the transition of UNC Student Stores to Barnes and Noble College, and leveraging these collaborations to implement change in higher education.

Where Does College and University Funding Come From? Where Does It Go?

It’s important to understand the finances of colleges and universities, budgeting, and sources and uses of funding. Costs at colleges and universities are increasing for a variety of reasons. Some costs involve facilities intended to attract talent, both in terms of faculty and students. Many costs involve people who do not teach, such as administrators. These individuals are doing work that is either required (government compliance) or expected (student mental health or career counseling). So, it is a stretch to sustain the argument that rising costs in higher education are singularly a function of unnecessary layers of administration. Many universities are using innovative approaches to cut costs and improve revenue streams to their institutions.

What Is Academic Research?

This chapter explains the nature and importance of university research in various fields, how and what research is funded, and the management and monetization of intellectual property.

How Are Businesses and Universities Different? How Are They Similar?

This chapter discusses the most important similarities and differences between business and higher education and explores ways in which businesspeople can effectively bring their knowledge and expertise to bear in improving academic institutions. Universities are fundamentally different organizations than businesses. Not only is there a vast divergence in mission (profit vs. reputation), there are also inherent differences in perspectives, particularly in terms of time and urgency. Business is known for its focus on immediacy. And although many aspects of a university’s operations may be time sensitive (such as turning in grades), measures of its reputation, such as the quality of students in the incoming class or the level of research funding received, are often only calculated and reported annually. In the book we provide a lens through which to consider this gap in perspective: the rates of organizational failure in the two sectors. Business failure is routine, while university failure is fairly unusual. The book cites research (Hendrickson et al., 2004) that points out, “None of the original 30 industries listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1928 are on the list today, and many no longer exist at all, yet all 30 of the top universities in the country in 1928 still exist, and most of them would still be considered among the best.” One may argue that this is an apples to oranges comparison, but that’s exactly the point.

Organization, Affiliation, and Influence inside the University

This chapter explores the organizational structure of academic institutions, including professional affiliations of leaders at different levels and how they exert influence. The chapter also examines shared governance and the intersection of administrative and faculty authority in colleges and universities.

How Are Colleges and Universities Influenced from Outside?

Colleges and universities are influenced in many ways from the outside, including federal and state governments, court decisions, and accreditors. Trustees must possess a deep understanding of the regulatory environment in which academic institutions operate.

Introduction

The Insider’s Guide to Working with Universities was written to help businesspeople, particularly board members and new academic leaders, who work with colleges and universities. The book gives them a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of how higher education works and helps them perform better in their university-related roles. The primary audience for the book is businesspeople who serve on university boards, individuals who bring incredible skills and experience but may have limited prior exposure to higher education. University boards make important decisions about strategic priorities, senior-level hiring, and budgets, their understanding of how universities work is critical to the success of the institutions that they serve. The book also helps people who take on senior positions within universities, perhaps as a dean or president, as well as businesspeople who would like to teach at the college level; donors, for whom a better understanding of academic institutions could help to shape their philanthropy; lawmakers and legislators, especially at the state level, who are responsible for public funding of higher education; and also considered are people in industries, including consulting and online education partners, whose clients are colleges and universities.

Who Are the Faculty?

To many, the role of the faculty in academic institutions is unclear. It is important to understand how professors impact the reputational quality of a university. This chapter explores how faculty earn their doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees, the differences between tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty positions, the academic promotion and tenure process, academic freedom, and shared governance.