What’s AHEAD: Voices from the Field

What’s AHEAD: Student Voices

January 2020

 
We asked students who work on Penn AHEAD’s projects to reflect on their research and the critical issues in higher education. Read what the next generation of higher education scholars and leaders are thinking about.

Ji Yeon Bae Ph.D. student, expected completion 2022

Elaine W. Leigh Ph.D. student, expected completion 2020

Taylor Odle M.A. (statistics) student, expected completion 2020; Ph.D. student, expected completion 2022

Pooja Patel Ph.D. student, expected completion 2023

Nathan Jiang B.A. student, expected completion 2020

Elizabeth Dunens Ph.D. student, expected completion 2023

What’s AHEAD on College Affordability: Voices from the Field

November 2019

 
In March 2019, AHEAD released Questioning the Calculations, a brief that examines the cost-related information that colleges and universities are providing on their websites. Prospective students need accurate, complete, and individualized information about their expected costs to determine the institutions to which to apply, and to appropriately plan for how to pay the costs. We’ve asked experts to give their take on the key ways colleges and university can address the college affordability crisis and be more transparent on the costs of college.

Institutions Must Begin the Work of Cost Transparency		The Costs of College Crisis Must Focus on the Black Student Debt Crisis		Colleges Can Reset Price and Cost		Changing Demographics Mean Colleges Changing How Dollars Are Spent
Dr. Robert Alexander, Vice President for Enrollment and Communications Millsaps College		Dr. Jalil Mustaffa Bishop, Vice-Provost Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education		Dr. Laura Casamento, President Utica College		Dr. Linda Oubré, President   Whittier College

What's AHEAD Poll - September 2017

Freedom of Speech on College Campuses

Administered shortly after the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, the latest What’s AHEAD poll focused on freedom of speech on college campuses. We are pleased to share the results, along with commentary from Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath, Professor at the Penn Graduate School of Education and the author of Free Speech on Campus recently released by University of Pennsylvania Press, and Penn GSE alumni Dr. Brandi Jones (University of Southern California) and Dr. Mary Finger (Seton Hill University).

Results Comments

What's AHEAD Poll - February 2017

Undocumented Students
and Sanctuary Campuses

The latest What’s AHEAD poll focused on issues of undocumented students, sanctuary campuses, and immigration policy. We are pleased to share the results, along with commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Melanie Corn (Columbus College of Art and Design) and Dr. Victor Aloyo (Princeton Theological Seminary), and framing comments from Dr. Matthew Hartley of Penn AHEAD.

Results Comments

What's AHEAD Poll - November 2016

November 2016 U.S. Election Results

We are pleased to share the results of our latest poll, along with commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. LeManuel Lee Bitsoi (Rush University Medical Center) and Dr. Stacia Edwards (Columbus State Community College).

Results Comments

What's AHEAD Poll - October 2016

Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Shared Governance

The latest What’s AHEAD poll focused on academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance. We are pleased to share the results, along with commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Kelly Thompson (Culver-Stockton College), Dr. José Antonio Guzmán (Universidad de los Andes), and Dr. Michael Class (Marquette University).

Results Comments

What's AHEAD Poll - June 2016

Closing Gaps in Higher Education Attainment

The latest What’s AHEAD poll focused on differences across groups in higher education attainment. We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from Dr. Laura Perna of Penn AHEAD, and commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Michael Sorrell (Paul Quinn College), Dr. Julie Amon (Rutgers University-Camden), and Dr. Anthony Rini (Northeastern University).

Results Comments

Poll #9

What Presidential Candidates Need to Know About Promoting College Student Success

The ninth What’s AHEAD poll focused on what the presidential candidates and federal policymakers should know about improving college student success. We are pleased to share the results, along with commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Ellie Fogarty (Middle States Commission on Higher Education), Dr. Ronald Jackson (Brooklyn College), and Dr. Daniel Martin (Seattle Pacific University).

Results Comments

Poll #8

Sexual Violence on Campus

The eighth What’s AHEAD poll focused on sexual violence on campus. We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from Dr. Larry Moneta (Duke University), and commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Sandra Johnson (Rochester Institute of Technology), Dr. Dawn Pleas-Bailey (Southwestern College), and Dr. Jason Rogers (Belmont University).

Results Comments

Poll #7

College Affordability: Is Free Community College Tuition the Answer?

The seventh What’s AHEAD poll focused on college affordability. We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from Dr. Martha Kanter (New York University), and commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Kenneth Saunders (Nassau Community College), Dr. Stacy Sweeney (Bay State College), and Dr. Scott Flanagan (Edgewood College).

Results Comments

Poll #6

Public Perceptions of Higher Education: Is it Worth the Cost?

The sixth What’s AHEAD poll focused on public perceptions of higher education. We are pleased to share the results, along with commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Dorcas Colvin (American Association of State Colleges and Universities), Dr. Sharon DeVivo (Vaughn College), and Dr. Peter Jordan (Tarrant County College – South Campus).

Results Comments

Poll #5

Higher Education Leaders:  What Institutional Decisions Do They Influence? 

The fifth What’s AHEAD poll focused on the perceived influence of higher education leaders on vari­ous areas of decision making in higher education. We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from Penn AHEAD senior scholar Dr. Robert Zemsky, and commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Barbara Risser (Finger Lakes Community College) and Dr. Roger Ward (University of Maryland, Baltimore).

Results Comments

Poll #4

Intercollegiate Athletics: An Important Component of Higher Education? 

The fourth What’s AHEAD poll focused on Intercollegiate Athletics. We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from Dr. Shaun Harper, Executive Director of Penn’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, as well as commentary from Penn GSE alumni Dr. Sue Wasiolek (Duke University) and Dr. Karen Weaver (Drexel University).

Results Comments

Poll #3

Fall Enrollment: A Common Topic of Conversation Among Higher Education Leaders

Our third What’s AHEAD poll focused on Fall Enrollment. We are pleased to share the results, along with commentary from Penn AHEAD’s Peter Eckel and Penn alumni Robert Alexander, Kathryn Regjo, and Jenny Rickard.

Results Comments

Poll #2 

Accountability and the Obama College Scorecard

The second What’s AHEAD poll focused on Accountability and the Obama College Scorecard. We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from AHEAD senior scholar Bob Zemsky, and commentary from Penn alumni DeAngela Burns-Wallace, José Antonio Guzmán, and Philip Rogers.

Results    Comments

Poll #1

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

The inaugural What’s AHEAD poll focused on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). We are pleased to share the results, along with framing comments from Laura Perna and Alan Ruby, and commentary from Wally Boston, Peggy McCready, and Candace Thille.

Results    Comments