Four Quandaries Facing Higher Ed Presidents - Part 1

Transforming Teacher Preparation for the 21st Century

In this two-part series, university presidents and higher education leaders gain valuable insights into the complex challenges of upgrading teacher preparation for the 21st century and strategies for driving transformative change.

In Part 1, Drumm McNaughton is joined by F. Joseph Merlino and Deborah Pomeroy as they identify and analyze the dilemmas (the Four Quandaries) impacting higher education institutions today.

Key Discussion Points

The Four Quandaries Facing Higher Education Presidents:

·       Mission vs. Revenue: Balancing the historic mission of providing transformative education with the increasing emphasis on job readiness and financial sustainability.

·       Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Integration: Overcoming the challenges posed by disciplinary silos and hierarchical systems to foster innovation and problem-solving.

·       Addressing College Access and Equity: Ensuring access and equity while maintaining academic excellence in the face of shifting demographics and disparities in student preparedness.

·       In-State vs. Out-of-State Students: Navigating the financial benefits of admitting out-of-state students while fulfilling the responsibility to serve in-state students effectively.

Transformative Change in Higher Education:

·       Adopting a goal-oriented approach that considers the unique context and quandaries of each institution.

·       Engaging stakeholders at all levels, including top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up strategies, to ensure the sustainability of transformative initiatives.

·       Confronting existing conceptions and practices by exposing educators to evidence that challenges their assumptions and beliefs.

Three Key Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards:

·       Understand change theory and the process of change, recognizing that change must be driven by a meaningful purpose owned by all stakeholders.

·       Ensure that the change aligns with the institution's core identity, mission, and legacy.

·       Navigate the challenges of establishing networks and building trust, whether appointed from within the institution or coming from the outside.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where Drumm McNaughton, F. Joseph Merlino, and Deborah Pomeroy share examples, practical insights, and actionable strategies for addressing these challenges and driving transformative change in higher education.

Read the transcript on our website: https://changinghighered.com/four-quandaries-facing-higher-ed-presidents/

About Our Podcast Guests

F. Joseph Merlino is the President of the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education and the co-author of a new book, New Era-New Urgency: The Case for Repurposing Education. For 35 years, he has served as the principal investigator or director of many National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Agency for International Development projects. He was a co-PI on a six-year project to study transformative STEM change in six higher education institutions. Based on this past research, he has been working in Egypt for the past 12 years, where he directs a $24M project to design five new undergraduate STEM teacher preparation programs involving 180 new courses in 5 universities. He oversaw the development of 21 new model Egyptian STEM high schools based on 11 Grand Challenges. He has a BA in Psychology from the University of Rochester and an MA in Education from Arcadia University.

Deborah Pomeroy, EdD, is an associate professor emeritus of science education at Arcadia University. After three years in scientific research, she shifted to a career in science education and taught high school science for 19 years in Fairbanks, AK. During that time, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. Following her high school teaching career, she completed a doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School for Education. She then taught science education at Arcadia University for 14 years where she consulted for several school districts and directed multiple education reform projects K-16. Much of her work in higher education involved both helping facilitate the development of new curricula and facilitating and studying the impact of partnerships between professors and high school teachers. Later, in Egypt, she helped to lead a massive project to develop a new integrated STEM education curriculum funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

About the Host

Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a higher education consultant specializing in governance, accreditation, strategic planning, change management, and mergers. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website: https://changinghighered.com/.

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