Most instruction at for-profit institutions is conducted by contingency faculty. This chapter will examine who contingency faculty are and how they have helped for-profits be the fastest growing higher education sector for the last 20 years. This chapter will also examine how having a majority of part-time faculty may also have negative impacts,…

This qualitative study fills a gap in our understanding of how students who attend for-profit institutions make sense of their education choices, their understanding of themselves as students, and the meaning of post-secondary education in the context of their diverse life experiences. The narratives of students who have attended for-profit…

The Academic Supply and Occupational Demand report highlights the connections between degrees that are being produced in Tennessee and the jobs that are available in the state. This year's report incorporates several meaningful changes from prior years' reports. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and Tennessee Department of Labor and…

Low completion rates for doctorates presents a problem for higher education in the United States. Successful completion is essential and maintaining a pool of doctorates guarantees a sufficient number of educators and researchers. The purpose of this paper was twofold: to determine the number of doctoral degrees awarded during the 2012-2013…

After a tumultuous reception, the Biden administration's regulations for the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) were finalized in July. Although the Administration backpedaled partway on issues related to community demand and racial integration, its final rules cracked down on so-called "for-profit charters," in line with the…

We draw on population-level administrative data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service to quantify the impact of for-profit college attendance on the employment and earnings of over one million students. Using a matched comparison group difference-in-differences design, we find that certificate-seeking students in…

The Academic Supply and Occupational Demand report highlights the connections between degrees that are being produced in Tennessee and the jobs that are available in the state. This report is divided into four sections: (1) Expected Degrees presents projections of postsecondary credentials to be awarded by public, private, and proprietary…

In the last 20 years, the U.S. higher education system has witnessed the tremendous growth of for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs). In fact, FPCUs have quickly become the fastest growing segment of postsecondary education. With innovative practices and alternative delivery of educational services, FPCUs have established a considerable…

While advocates of the proposed "Gainful Employment" regulations promise a variety of improvements for students attending for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs), there is little research on how these institutions are responding to this heightened form of accountability. Through interviews with senior executives of FPCUs, we used…

This article examines the different uses of equality in one elite international school in India. We focus on how conceptions of equality can be enrolled into particular scripts of benevolence and gifting through which elite distinctions are constituted and enacted. Our analysis of interviews with students, teachers and parents in the school…

In a radical school choice reform in 1992, Sweden's education system was opened to private competition from independent for-profit and non-profit schools funded by vouchers. Competition was expected to produce higher-quality education at lower cost, in both independent and public schools. This two-pronged study first examines to what extent the…

While the supply and demand for online higher education is rapidly expanding, questions remain regarding its potential impact on increasing access, reducing costs, and improving student outcomes. Does online education enhance access to higher education among students who would not otherwise enroll in college? Can online courses create savings for…

While there is a large amount of research regarding employee satisfaction and turnover, less attention has been paid to the role of compensation, especially in the context of for-profit institutions of higher education. This capstone project conducted a review of budgetary records and human resources files at a for-profit institution of higher…

The report looks at the various education pathways first-time students traversed toward a degree or certificate completion, as well as the completion outcomes for the different groups of students who followed each pathway from the fall of 2011 or the fall of 2013 through spring (June) 2019, that is, within eight years or six years of enrolling.…

Despite the attention given to student retention for nearly half a century, college graduation and persistence rates have not improved in over two decades. Furthermore, time to degree rates suggest that it is taking more time to earn degrees. Consequently, there is a significant amount of individual and financial expense required to earn a college…