Those in the trenches don’t need to be told higher education is facing serious challenges, but the reminders are everywhere. As reported by Inside Higher Ed, there’s a growing shortage of our prized input: undergraduates. Meanwhile the value of our output (a degree) is being questioned. A recent Gallup survey found that only a third of students believe they will graduate with the skills needed to be successful in the job market. On top of that, thought leaders such as Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor known for his work on disruptive innovation, has predicted that half of universities will go bankrupt in a decade. Hyperbole? Maybe not.

The Indispensable Role of Faculty in Higher Education
If a university were a quilt, the faculty would be the threads holding the fabric together. But despite their essential role, faculty often find themselves undervalued and underappreciated. This article