From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

The U.S. economy is rebounding sharply from its lockdown-induced malaise, but it may be years before some sectors fully recover, if at all. Among those that survive, some will emerge from the pandemic fundamentally changed. The nation’s postsecondary...

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

Much of the news out of our nation’s colleges and universities has been less than encouraging of late, especially as it relates to the fortunes and experiences of undergraduates and would-be undergraduates. Enrollment is down, freshmen increasingly report feelings of... Read More

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

The coronavirus pandemic has had a surprisingly pernicious effect on community college enrollment, and as is often the case in times of social disruption, the fallout threatens underserved populations disproportionately. How we respond to this crisis...

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

The nation’s vast postsecondary education system exists in large part to supply the workforce necessary to sustain economic growth and create broad-based prosperity. What happens when a key component of that system is abruptly scaled back or eliminat...

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

The widespread adoption of online instruction has exposed our nation’s glaring digital divide. Closing this divide is critical if we are to achieve substantive educational progress in the coming decade and beyond. The words digital divide denote t...

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

From the Desk of Barbara Robertson

What should colleges and universities teach? This age-old question has taken on new relevance as we scrutinize the assumptions underpinning our civic and educational institutions. It turns out a good deal of creative thinking has gone into curricu...