Past Events

Is there Academic Freedom in an Online World?

Webinar| June 22 | 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PDT | LiveStream

Principles of academic freedom are central to the ethos of a university. They govern the conduct of the events that make up the life of a university, providing that classes, lectures, symposia, conferences and colloquia are venues of open discussion and free dissent. Over the past year, because of the Covid pandemic, these venues have largely migrated from in-person venues to on-line platforms, and these platforms will continue to play an essential...

Current Approaches to Improvement of College and University Teaching

Lecture | April 29| 12 p.m. PDT | Youtube

Join a stirring and content-rich discussion of college and university teaching addressing:

What has learning science research discovered over the past decade that can improve teaching substantially? How does great quality teaching vary by discipline? What technological tools and methods have been developed recently that can enhance teaching? How do students from different backgrounds and with different types of preparation benefit from various...

An Open Systems Approach to the Future of U.S. Universities

Lecture | April 12 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. PDT | LiveStream

In organizational studies, “open systems” approaches emphasize the interaction of environmental forces and internal structures in producing institutional change. A panel of leading higher education scholars will examine the influence of international competition, federal and state patronage, technological innovations, and social movements on the future trajectory of American universities, and how...

Evolution of University Systems: Goals, Strategies, Obstacles and Achievements

Lecture | April 8| 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Youtube

Many states throughout the U.S. are actively merging and consolidating campuses or making plans for this in their future. These changes seek to reshape higher education opportunities in order to address changing demographics, continuing declines in revenue, promote organizational efficiency, expand academic programs and create clearer curricular paths. The three efforts to be discussed were engaged by university systems integrating...

Covid-19: The end or revival of international higher education?

Lecture/Discussion | May 7 | 9:00 a.m. PDT | Zoom | LiveStream

Recent years have witnessed a rise in the level of nationalism in many countries with tightened immigration policies and stronger governmental oversight of multinational research collaborations. At the same time, competition among countries and universities for international students has increased significantly, while the demographics of young populations in many countries are shifting. Now, the onset of an historic global pandemic, with its...

Being a Student during the Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on Undergraduate and Graduate Student Experience

June 18, 2020 | 10 - 11:30 a.m. PDT | YouTube Live | PowerPoint

The webinar will feature the preliminary results from the SERU Consortium surveys on the impact of COVID-19 on learning, well-being, finances and plans of undergraduate and graduate students at US research-intensive universities. The follow-up discussion will include perspectives from university leadership on institutional responses to the...

Financial Impacts of Covid-19 on Higher Education in California

Panel | May 4 | 10:00 a.m. PDT | Link to follow | YouTube

The panel will provide multiple perspectives on the potential financial impact of COVID 19 on California’s public colleges and universities. Panel members will include campus CEOs from the University of California and California State University system as well as from a UC Berkeley higher education researcher with experience as a CFO at multiple UC and CSU campuses.

Specific topics addressed by the panelists will include the financial impact of...

Challenges and Opportunities for California Community Colleges in Responding to COVID 19

Panel | July 17 | 1 - 2 p.m. PDT |Video

The panel will provide multiple perspectives on the potential financial and operational impact of COVID 19 on California’s community colleges. Panel members will include the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, as well as UC Berkeley higher education researcher with experience as a CFO at multiple college campuses.

Specific topics addressed by the panelists will include the...

Rhetoric vs. Realities: The Student Debt Crisis

Lecture | RESCHEDULED November 17 | 11:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m. | Youtube Livestream | Powerpoint

This discussion of student debt will question the premise that there is a general crisis, focusing on the students and institutions facing difficulties, the benefits of borrowing for college as well as the sometimes severe problems debt financing creates, and potential policy solutions. What...

Impact of Public Spending on Postsecondary Attainment

Lecture | December 11 | 1 p.m. PST | Video

Increasing the postsecondary attainment rate of college-age youth is an important economic priority in the U.S. and in other developed countries, but little is known about whether different forms of public subsidy can increase degree completion. In this study, we compare the impacts of public spending on postsecondary attainment when it is spent on lowering tuition prices versus increasing the quality of the college experience. We do so by estimating the causal...