I'm often prompted by news reports about the University of Phoenix to wonder why more traditional (nonprofit) colleges and universities do not take more seriously the obvious success of the UoP in assuring the quality of its academic program outcomes while simultaneously controlling its per-enrollment cost structures in order to maintain competitive tuition rates. Now we learn that UoP has created a University of Phoenix National Research Center (led and managed internally and advised externally) to advance its understanding of how best to ensure quality learning outcomes in adult-student markets (while controlling its unit costs).
Books
- William H. Graves: El Gran Reto de la Educación: Equidad | Logro Académico | Rendición de Cuentas
This 2013 publication is a compilation of my major papers from 2005-2012 translated into the Spanish Language. I'm indebted to my colleague, Joaquin Huerta, for his effort and kindness in conceiving and completing this project on behalf of our clients and colleagues in the Spanish-speaking world. Larry Downes and Chunka Mui: Unleashing the Killer App
Economics Nobel Laureate Ronald Coase observed in the 1930s that that organizations were growing in size and, thus, becoming more bureaucratic, all because there was too much friction in externally acquiring the services and products necessary to the provision of an organization's core products and/or services. Downes and Mui make a persuasive case that the Internet changes that internally focused paradigm by removing the friction from external sourcing, thus enabling new "leaner, meaner" operational models in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Downes' and Mui's "killer app" is Thomas Friedman's set of "flattenting" forces. (*****)Steven D. Levitt: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Levitt asks interesting questions and uses statistical regression and his impressive habits of mind to answer them. I'd like to know what he might find if he asked why nonprofit higher education has not improved productivity in light of its major investments in information technology. (****)Michael Treacy: The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market
Read this and then determine your institution's current "value discipline" -- and what it actually should be. Be honest! (*****)Thomas L. Friedman: The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
This is must reading! Ask yourself how you would "flatten" higher education -- and your institution! (*****)
Recent Posts
- President Obama's affordability plan: for better and for worse
- Flexing Forward towards SOCM (scalable, open, credentialing marketplace)
- An educational justice and attainment movement in response to the IAU's alternative pathways to the future
- Global Education Leadership Commons: A response to IAU's call for alternative paths to the future
- What higher education needs from its leaders
- You know about the Global Positioning System; how about an Educational Positioning System?
- Prospectus for a Global "Education Leadership Commons"
- Collaboration and IT as Game Changers for the Completions Priority
- Education's Priority Challenges
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May 10, 2008
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