The leadership vacuum in higher education - Jahi Chikwendiu, WASHINGTON POST

Like many other sectors of the U.S. economy, higher education is suffering. State universities have been on the receiving end of significant legislative budget cuts for the past four years. And as they have increased tuition to make up for the lost revenue, they have gotten an earful from students, parents and state legislators. Even private universities are experiencing “tuition fatigue” on the part of often quite wealthy parents. To make matters worse, “traditional” universities are now competing with, and often being outflanked by, for-profit upstarts like the University of Phoenix and Strayer, to name but a few. When governments, businesses or the military endure hard times, we often hear of bold leaders who help their institutions endure. Alan Mulally recently shepherded Ford through a near-death experience. Chris Christie, though early in his “reign,” is taking bold steps in New Jersey to address problems many years in the making. And stories of great leadership in the military are almost too numerous to name.