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Public Higher Education That Works

One College's Path to Academic Success and Financial Stability

Mitchel B. Wallerstein

Publication Date: September 27, 2024

Pages: 144

Available Formats
PAPERBACK
ISBN: 9780807786444
$42.95
HARDCOVER
ISBN: 9780807786451
$126.00
EBOOK
ISBN: 9780807782767
$42.95
Public Higher Education That Works 9780807786444
  • Description
  • Author
  • Reviews
  • Contents

Description+

Discover how one public higher education institution was able to succeed despite the many obstacles and challenges that it faced.

This is the story of how and why Baruch College of The City University of New York became a “positive outlier,” overcoming serious financial constraints, physical space limitations, and other difficulties to be highly ranked academically and financially stable. During a tumultuous time for public higher education, Baruch has graduated tens of thousands of smart and striving individuals (the majority of whom were the first in their family ever to attend college) with little or no educational debt. As the former president of the college, Mitchel Wallerstein analyzes the lessons learned and identifies the specific factors that explain Baruch’s success. He addresses the question of whether there is anything unique about Baruch’s approach—a “secret sauce,” so to speak—that accounts for its academic success and financial strength, and he considers whether the Baruch model can be replicated by other public institutions.

Book Features:

  • Reviews the history of public higher education, its development in the state of New York, and the important role it has played in the economic development of the United States.
  • Presents a unique, comparative analysis of 15 public higher education institutions in 6 states across the country, comparing their strengths and standing in relation to one another and to Baruch College.
  • Explores the replicability and sustainability of the “Baruch model” in the context of other public higher education institutions across the country.
  • Reflects on the current and future challenges facing public higher education in the 21st century.

Author+

Mitchel B. Wallerstein is president emeritus and university professor at Baruch College, The City University of New York.

Reviews+

“Wallerstein, a successful college president from whom others can learn a great deal, gives us hope that Baruch's successful strategies can be replicated on other campuses. This volume is a valuable case study on the role of leadership in addressing critical higher education issues—from financial and physical space challenges to the academic performance of first generation/immigrant college students. I highly recommend it.”
—Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president emeritus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

“In this compelling case study of Baruch College of the City University of New York, president emeritus Mitchel Wallerstein provides invaluable perspective on the potential of public higher education. Owing in no small measure to his decade at the helm, Baruch has succeeded in developing an institutional culture characterized by academic excellence and economic stability—as he puts it, a “positive outlier” among peer institutions. His assessment of whether other public colleges and universities can replicate the enviable successes of Baruch should serve to inspire academic leaders of all institutional types as well as all those committed to the advancement of public higher education.”
—Michael M. Crow, president, Arizona State University

“Mitch Wallerstein has done an exceptional job capturing the remarkable success of Baruch College, a gem of The City University of New York. While it’s no surprise that Baruch is often cited as a leading engine of social and economic mobility because of both its high quality and affordability, it is, as Dr. Wallerstein notes, a surprise that its story is not more widely known. I hope this book and its lessons help remedy that oversight.”
—James B. Milliken, chancellor, The University of Texas System

"Today more than ever before, the United States needs high quality, affordable public higher education. Unfortunately, we live in a time when all public colleges face serious, unrelenting academic, financial, and political challenges. Yet despite the difficult environment, a few public institutions have gotten stronger academically, increased their financial stability, and become more desirable to students and families who are choosing a college. Mitchel Wallerstein’s crisp and thorough account of how Baruch College of The City University of New York (CUNY) has flourished while others have stumbled makes for gripping reading and provides a road map that other schools should consider."
—Terry W. Hartle, senior fellow, American Council on Education

“Public Higher Education That Works offers a deeply contextual and compelling success story demonstrating the true potential of a small group of committed educators and academic leaders to create a more inclusive and transformative educational experience. Wallerstein’s thorough investigation of Baruch College’s growth, rigorously tapping history, exploring politics, and analyzing data on higher education enrollment and finance, is a primer for institutional leaders and an instructive case study for all sectors of higher education given our challenging future.”
—Jillian Kinzie, associate director, National Survey of Student Engagement, Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University Bloomington

“Wallerstein provides a compelling narrative that helps us envision the expansive possibilities of public higher education, even in the context of challenging times. Readers will gain a wealth of practical insights into how Baruch College leveraged a distinctive organizational identity and culture toward financial health and academic innovation.”
—Jay R. Dee, professor of higher education, University of Massachusetts Boston

Contents+

Contents

Preface  xiii

Introduction  1
Public Higher Education: A Very Brief History  1
The Uncertain State of Public Higher Education  2
The View From State Capitals  3
Pressure to Keep Tuition Low  4
Public vs. Private Tuition Cost Divergence  5
Enrollment Patterns and Demographics: Public vs. Private  6

1.  A Brief History of CUNY and Baruch College and Their Enduring Values and Challenges  9
CUNY’s Historic Mission: Making Higher Education Affordable and Accessible  11
The New York City Fiscal Crisis  12
The Failed “Open Admissions” Experiment  14
Chronic State Underfunding of CUNY  15
The Upstate vs. Downstate Problem  17
The Complicated Relationship Between CUNY and Its Constituent Colleges  18

2.  The Special Character of Baruch and Its Students  21
The New York City Tapestry  21
Geographic Distribution  24
Social and Economic Mobility  24
Academic Focus  28
International Character  29
Careers After Graduation  30
Nature vs. Nurture?  31

3.  How Does Baruch Compare Nationally?  33
Academic Quality  33
Affordability  37
The Geographic Factor  38
An Analysis of PHEIs Comparable to Baruch  38

4.  Challenges Facing Baruch and Other Public Higher Education Institutions  43
Political Support for Public Higher Education  43
Addressing the Needs of Students Who Commute and Work  46
Dealing With a Unionized Faculty and Staff  47
Dealing With Severe Space Constraints and Aging Facilities  49
Mobilizing Private Philanthropic Support for a Public Institution  53

5.  Indicators of Baruch’s Success  57
Increasing Quality of the Student Body  59
Support for Student Success  60
New Academic Programs and Initiatives  61
Increasing the College’s Endowment  64
Developing More Effective Management Tools to Improve Financial Stability  65
New and Improved Campus Facilities and Outdoor Space  69
Achieving Strong National and Regional Rankings  70
Growing National and International Visibility  71

6.  Does Baruch College Have a “Secret Sauce”?  73
Baruch’s Advantageous Position Within the CUNY System  73
Does Baruch Have a “Secret Sauce”?  81

7.  Is the Baruch “Model” Sustainable and Replicable?  83
What Explains Baruch’s Academic Success and Financial Stability?  83
Can the Baruch College “Model” Be Replicated Elsewhere?  85
The Future Sustainability of the “Baruch Model”  88

8.  Reflections on the Future of Public Higher Education  93
The Challenges Facing Higher Education in General  93
The Growing Public vs. Private Cost Gap  95
Providing an Educated Workforce for the 21st Century  97
Reimagining the U.S. Higher Education System  97
Conclusion  98

Endnotes  101

Index  117

About the Author  121

$42.95

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Print copies available for US orders only. For orders outside the US, see our international distributors.

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