Just a few years ago, the University of Notre Dame averaged about six mega gifts--$10 million or more--a year. Last year, however, the Fighting Irish received only one such donation. "That multimillion donation has become more difficult to obtain," says Lou Nanni, vice president for university relations at the Indiana institution.…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…