Organizations and Resources

This page is designed to give quick access to reliable information and expert opinions about and within higher education. The first section has to do with board governance, and is an invaluable resource for governing bodies in higher education. The second section provides links pertaining to accreditation. The third is a collection of professional associations and resources, some that lobby on behalf of higher education and some that provide information about best practices, current trends, and hot topics. The last section lists news sites dedicated to higher education.

 Board of Trustees and Governance

• Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges: AGB provides trustees, presidents, and board professionals of public and independent colleges and universities with information about best practices, board governance, and national issues affecting colleges and universities. By virtue of Hampshire’s membership in AGB, a wide range of resources, publications, and webinars are available to our trustees. 

Accreditation

• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE): NECHE is the regional accreditation agency for colleges and universities in the six New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as for several international institutions of higher education. The Commission consists of faculty, administrators, and trustees from affiliated institutions and public members. It is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education for the institutions it accredits. The Commission is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), affirming that its Standards and processes are consistent with the quality, improvement, and accountability expectations that CHEA has established.

Professional Associations and Resources

• American Council on Education: ACE is the major coordinating body for the nation’s higher education institutions, and provides leadership and advocacy on key higher education issues in order to influence public policy.
• The Annapolis Group: The Annapolis Group is comprised of approximately 130 leading national independent liberal arts colleges that have similar interests and concerns centering on the values of liberal arts education that inform their missions. It provides a forum for member institutions to share best practices, seek higher levels of excellence, and advance the cause of liberal arts education on a national scale.
• Association of American Colleges and Universities: AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Its mission is to make liberal education and inclusive excellence the foundation for institutional purpose and educational practice in higher education.
• Campus Compact: Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,100 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education, and is dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement. Hampshire College is a founding member of Campus Compact.
• Council for Advancement and Support of Education: CASE is education’s leading resource for knowledge, standards, advocacy and training in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing, and related activities.
• Higher Education Research Institute: HERI promotes institutional improvement through an increased understanding of higher education, and is home to the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, which conducts the largest ongoing national studies of college students in the United States.
• National Association of College and University Business Officers: NACUBO is a membership organization representing more than 2,500 colleges, universities, and higher education service providers across the country and around the world. It specifically represents chief business and financial officers through advocacy efforts, community service, and professional development activities in order to advance the economic viability and business practices of higher education institutions in fulfillment of their academic missions.
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities: NAICU represents America’s private and not-for-profit colleges and universities on policy issues with the federal government, such as those affecting student aid, taxation, and government regulation.
• Project Pericles: Project Pericles is a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include social responsibility and participatory citizenship as essential elements of their educational programs. Hampshire College is a founding member of Project Pericles.

Higher Education in the News

• The Chronicle of Higher Education: The Chronicle is published every week both in paper and on-line, and is one of the top destinations for news, advice, discussion forums, and jobs for people in academe. Note that some areas of the site require a subscription.
• Inside Higher Ed: Inside Higher Ed is a prominent online source for news, opinion and jobs for all of higher education.
• University Business: University Business magazine is a publication for presidents and other senior officers at two- and four-year colleges and universities throughout the United States,  and covers current and emerging trends in all areas of university and college management.