ERIC Number: EJ1272968
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0271-0560
EISSN: N/A
Not All Regional Public Universities Strive for Prestige: Examining and Strengthening Mission-Centeredness within a Vital Sector
Orphan, Cecilia M.
New Directions for Higher Education, n190 p9-24 Sum 2020
A dominant narrative exists that all regional public universities (RPUs) are striving for prestige and, if given the chance, would readily abandon their missions of facilitating educational access for marginalized students and increase admissions selectivity to privilege elite students. As a result of this dominant narrative, RPUs are largely depicted as being unsure of and uncommitted to their missions. This chapter tests this dominant narrative by examining research and media reporting about the sector. The chapter argues that some indicators of prestige-seeking have been inappropriately applied to RPUs and that assumptions have been made about the entire sector based on the behaviors of a few institutions. Research demonstrating far more mission-centeredness in the sector than the dominant narrative suggests is also shared. The chapter concludes with recommendations for policymakers, the media, and RPU administrators to help them counter the dominant narrative while strengthening the sector's mission-centeredness.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A