Survey of College Presidents Calls for More Disruption

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 70 percent of college presidents believe that at least a moderate amount of disruption is needed in higher education to improve outcomes and the perceived value of higher education, according to a survey conducted by Maguire Associates, Inc. in partnership with The Chronicle of Higher Education and co-sponsored by Blackboard. 

With only three percent of private campus executives agreeing that the higher education system is currently functioning smoothly, the report found that most university presidents and provosts welcome change. When given the options of "evolutionary change" or "disruptive change," two-thirds of all institution leaders surveyed favored for massive or moderate disruption. 

The study also revealed that while 60 percent of respondents are optimistic about the direction the American higher education system is going in, only 30 percent felt as if the higher education system is currently the best in the world. Surprisingly, this drops to 17 percent when asked about the next decade.

"Years ago, disruption to the higher education business model was not something widely discussed among institutional leaders," said Jay Bhatt, CEO of Blackboard. "Times have changed. This report emphasizes that schools of all types and leaders at all levels are being forced to reevaluate what it means to be relevant. We need a reimagined educational experience that directly connects learners to success. While a challenging time, it is also an exciting one as we work with schools to drastically transform the industry in ways that foster both institutional and student success."

The survey's executive summary, which shares the opinions of higher education leaders on key issues facing their industry, are included in The Innovative University: What College Presidents Think About Change in American Higher Education, which was discussed this week at BbWorld^®, Blackboard's annual user conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The report, edited by Jeffrey J. Selingo, contributing editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education, is based on nearly 400 responses from presidents of four-year public, private, and not-for-profit colleges and universities.

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About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard is the world's leading education technology company that is reimagining education by challenging conventional thinking and advancing new learning models. We rapidly deploy relevant and meaningful technologies and services to meet the needs of the modern day learner and the institutions that serve them, driving success and growth for both. In partnership with higher education, K-12, corporate organizations, and government agencies around the world, we help every learner achieve their full potential. For more information about Blackboard follow us on Twitter at @Blackboard.

About the Survey
The Innovative University: What College Presidents Think About Change in American Higher Education is based on a survey conducted by Maguire Associates, Inc., was edited by Jeffrey J. Selingo, contributing editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education Inc. and is co-sponsored  by Blackboard.  The Chronicle is fully responsible for the report's editorial content. Copyright © 2014

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SOURCE Blackboard Inc.