"With wit and insight, John Lombardi offers us the single best description of how universities work. This book is destined to be an essential handbook for anyone working or hoping to work in a university. It gives readers an insider's view of the American academy. How Universities Work introduces readers to the structure, logic, dynamics, and operational styles of America's public and private institutions of higher education. The author identifies all the bits and pieces that compose a university in contemporary America: defines them; describes them; and does it all with remarkable economy so that you come away from this slim volume knowing more than you had any reason to anticipate. While focused on research universities, much of the discussion applies to many other types of post-secondary institutions as the premier public and private research universities serve as models for other colleges and universities. Ideal for students, this book will form a solid foundation for introductory courses in Higher Education, but it may also find a welcome home on the bedside table of faculty and administrators"--

Uncovers the labor exploitation occurring in universities across the country As much as we think we know about the modern university, very little has been said about what it's like to work there. Instead of the high-wage, high-profit world of knowledge work, most campus employees—including the vast majority of faculty—really work in the low-wage, low-profit sphere of the service economy. Tenure-track positions are at an all-time low, with adjuncts and graduate students teaching the majority of courses. This super-exploited corps of disposable workers commonly earn fewer than $16,000 annually, without benefits, teaching as many as eight classes per year. Even undergraduates are being exploited as a low-cost, disposable workforce. Marc Bousquet, a major figure in the academic labor movement, exposes the seamy underbelly of higher education—a world where faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates work long hours for fast-food wages. Assessing the costs of higher education's corporatization on faculty and students at every level, How the University Works is urgent reading for anyone interested in the fate of the university.

Constrained by shrinking budgets, can colleges do more to improve the quality of education? And can students get more out of college without paying higher tuition? Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs conclude that limited resources need not diminish the undergraduate experience. How College Works reveals the decisive role that personal relationships play in determining a student's success, and puts forward a set of small, inexpensive interventions that yield substantial improvements in educational outcomes. At a liberal arts college in New York, the authors followed nearly one hundred students over eight years. The curricular and technological innovations beloved by administrators mattered much less than did professors and peers, especially early on. At every turning point in undergraduate lives, it was the people, not the programs, that proved critical. Great teachers were more important than the topics studied, and just two or three good friendships made a significant difference academically as well as socially. For most students, college works best when it provides the daily motivation to learn, not just access to information. Improving higher education means focusing on the quality of relationships with mentors and classmates, for when students form the right bonds, they make the most of their education.

Colleges and universities stand to benefit greatly when businesspeople engage with them, whether through governing boards, alumni associations, consulting arrangements, philanthropy, or other channels. But many businesspeople are frustrated by the way institutions of higher education work--or rather, how they don't work. Why do decisions in universities take so long and involve so many people? Why aren't profit and growth top priorities for colleges? Why can't the faculty be managed like any other employees? Shouldn't alumni have a greater say as they continue to invest in their alma mater? As leaders in higher education, James W. Dean Jr. and Deborah Y. Clarke have years of experience addressing these questions for a wide range of professionals outside the academy. This book draws on their expertise to offer real-world guidance for businesspeople who work with and seek to improve colleges and universities. Dean and Clarke differentiate and clarify the motivations and structures that make universities unique among American enterprises. And while they acknowledge the challenges that businesspeople often face when working with academic institutions, they explain that understanding the distinct mission of higher education is essential to being able to effect change within these organizations. Presenting insights from interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, Dean and Clarke give succinct and practical advice for working with universities.

How do university finances really work? From flagship public research universities to small, private liberal arts colleges, there are few aspects of these institutions associated with more confusion, myths or lack of understanding than how they fund themselves and function in the business of higher education. Using simple, approachable explanations supported by clear illustrations, this book takes the reader on an engaging and enlightening tour of how the money flows. How does the university really pay for itself? Why do tuition and fees rise so fast? Why do universities lose money on research? Do most donations go to athletics? Grounded in hard data, original analyses, and the practical experience of a seasoned administrator, this book provides refreshingly clear answers and comprehensive insights for anyone on or off campus who is interested in the business of the university: how it earns its money, how it spends it, and how it all works.

Ultimately, this logical, accessible book provides a working knowledge of how university budgets are produced and implemented, one that enables faculty members and administrators to become more effective in their roles within the university.

An expert guide designed to help university trustees become effective leaders. Honorable Mention for Eric Hoffer Award (Business Category) by The Hoffer Project We expect college and university trustees to hire the president, advise senior staff, manage investments and financial decisions, and oversee major strategic initiatives. Unfortunately, they sometimes come into this powerful role with little or no understanding of what they are meant to do or how their institutions work. How University Boards Work, by Robert A. Scott, is designed to help trustees understand how to fulfill their responsibilities. Written by a widely respected leader in American higher education and former university president, How University Boards Work is the product of personal experience and considerable research. This concise, straightforward guide includes: • an explanation of the difference between governance and management • tips on how best to prepare for board decisions and discussions • examples of positive and negative board behavior • guidance about board professional development • advice on managing transitions between chief executives How University Boards Work will prove an invaluable resource for those responsible for governing colleges and universities, whether privately financed or state funded. It will also be an illuminating read for board secretaries, campus executives and administrators, faculty leaders, alumni volunteers, and public officials, as well as anybody seeking to understand institutional governance in the light of past and current trends in higher education.