The relationship between employer and employee has changed significantly over the past 40 years. One of the greatest changes in this relationship is in the nature of employee retirement. While pension reform at public and private colleges has helped ensure institutional financial viability, retirement security for employees has declined. With the…

Currently, higher education is being roiled by class-action lawsuits filed against high-profile institutions, including MIT, Yale and New York University, over management of their retirement plans. As the lawyers are deployed and the billable hours accrue, it is timely to examine how those who have responsibility for retirement plan…

This report provides an overview of the forecast financial health of the HEFCE-funded higher education (HE) sector in England. The analysis covers the financial forecasts for the period 2015-16 to 2018-19, based on information submitted by higher education institutions (HEIs) to HEFCE in July 2016. Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 102 is the new…

This report provides an overview of the financial health of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funded higher education sector in England. The analysis covers the financial results for 2015-16. This does not include further education or sixth-form colleges, or alternative providers of higher education.

In this paper, four qualitative case studies capture the complex interplay between the social and structural relations that shape community - academic partnerships. Collaborations begin as relationships among people. They are sustained by institutional structures that recognize and support these relationships. Productive collaborations centralize…

It is increasingly important to understand the fundamentals of investing and, for many, the ability to integrate faith and ethics with investing decisions. This is especially relevant for employees and students in Christian higher education. Most employees in Christian higher education are enrolled in retirement plans that obligate them to make…

Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), the largest pension system in the country, has lost its tax exemption, a change that has both created problems and opened doors to new ventures. TIAA-CREF is now seeking opportunities to manage state tuition-savings plans, and has also established six…

The American Council on Education's 2-year process of investigation, study, and selection that resulted in the council's movement from TIAA/CREF as its only available retirement plan, to a total of 15 retirement options offered by two insured annuity companies and two mutual fund companies is described. (MLW)

Reports on changes at the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association - College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), the dominant force in the higher education pension market, to counter declining investment by younger professors. Changes include addition of retail mutual funds and making some products available to the general public. Critics…

Faculty members should consider becoming more involved in the oversight of their personal retirement funds. Both price and inflation risks are best controlled by taking a balanced or diversified approach to investing, with a portfolio based on a predetermined percentage of each type of investment. (MSE)

This book offers investment strategies for participants in the primary retirement organization for universities and nonprofit organizations, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF). The investment principles outlined also apply to retirement funds offered by other investment companies. The book's scope…

With the variety of available investment options and a volatile securities market, it is vital that boards make wise choices about employee retirement programs. Issues to consider when discussing pension-plan changes are presented. (Author/MLW)

Alternative college retirement programs and features of a desirable retirement program are discussed. The historical, social, and economic forces that prompt institutions to consider alternative programs are identified. The present position of college faculty in terms of retirement options is also addressed. Since its inception, the Teachers…

The drop in the stock markets around the world focuses attention on the role of equities in retirement plans. Steps that faculty members--and specifically those in TIAA-CREF--should consider are presented. (MLW)

Four steps to retirement planning, intended to demystify retirement investment, are offered for college faculty: (1) establish diversification goals; (2) urge their institutions to offer more investment options; (3) coordinate retirement investments with other investments; and (4) take steps to guarantee against inflation. Typical age-related…