Browsing by Author "Pickus, Noah"

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    Enrollment Growth and Equity of Access: A Critical Analysis of the University of North Carolina's Strategic Plan
    (2019-03-25) Levitt, Jessica
    The University of North Carolina System’s strategic plan contains initiatives to increase access for low-income and rural students, improve student outcomes, and close achievement gaps. A complete assessment of UNC’s strategic plan will consider increased enrollment against the demand of the state’s economy, the cost of education, and institutional resources. Enrollment growth carries the risks of lowering academic standard or oversaturating North Carolina’s economy with college-educated workers. However, the low educational attainment of the state’s underserved populations supports expanding access. A more detailed investigation of demographics at each of the campuses is necessary to understand the scope of underrepresentation within the system. The resulting calculations show that in addition to underrepresentation, there is also unequal distribution of minority, low-income, and rural students across UNC institutions. While the system has identified a number of programs and methods for achieving its priorities, it is also worth examining other models that may have application in North Carolina. In its current form, UNC’s strategic plan is insufficient to drive state-wide improvements. The aims produce only minimal gains, overlook important gaps, and lack the coordination between campuses necessary to best utilize system resources. There is unmet need and significant opportunity for innovation in North Carolina’s public institutions, but more ambitious goals will have to be implemented to result in any meaningful impact.
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    Liberal Arts and Sciences Innovation in China: Six Recommendations to Shape the Future
    (2017-11) Pickus, Noah; Godwin, Kara
    In June, 2017, twenty-five university leaders and scholars gathered at Duke Kunshan University (DKU) to assess obstacles to and opportunities for China’s new LAS initiatives. Representing 20 different institutions, attendees came from leading universities in Mainland China as well as Singapore, Hong Kong, the US, and Canada. The report makes six distinct recommendations (published in English and Chinese by the Center for International Higher Education in its Perspective Series). Participants further concluded that the real opportunity for China in implementing these initiatives goes beyond reforming its own universities. If China can implement and expand these programs in innovative and culturally relevant ways, it will shape education reform throughout the world. The liberal arts and sciences in China are thus at a pivotal moment. The report includes four background papers prepared by Yong Zhao, William Kirby, Gerald Postiglione, Y Ma, and Alice Te, and Qiang Zha
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    Paying College Athletes: An Analysis of Proposed Reforms for the Collegiate Athletic Model
    (2017-04-11) Blutman, Alex
    On October 15, 2016, University of Wisconsin basketball star Nigel Hayes stood with a sign in view of ESPN’s College Gameday set that was on campus for the Badgers football team’s matchup against Ohio State (Curtis, 2016). Hayes’ sign read: “BROKE COLLEGE ATHLETE ANYTHING HELPS” and listed the username of a Venmo account. Hayes’ protest is an echo of the many public voices that have criticized the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in recent years over its treatment of college athletes. College sports are a billion-dollar business, and perhaps the athletes deserve a greater cut of the revenue generated from their activities. The NCAA and universities have resisted these challenges, concerned that the influence of commercialization in collegiate athletics would threaten the educational ideal. Given the unique context of Division I collegiate athletics, what reforms can be implemented to appropriately address the status and treatment of student-athletes giving due consideration to both market-oriented principles and educational standards? Drawing upon interviews with informed actors in the space of college sports (primarily athletes and administrators from Duke University), I argue for a scheme of reform for the collegiate athletic model that better attends to both the educational achievement of student-athletes and to their fair treatment in a market-oriented setting. The three-part recommendation would give student-athletes full control of their publicity rights, include student-athletes in a revenue-sharing scheme tied to the profitability of their individual programs, and amend professional league eligibility requirements.
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