Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges

The $2.2-Billion Bet

What a Decline in Rural Colleges Means for Rural Communities

Recommitting to ‘Stewardship of Place’

A new report takes stock of how regional public institutions are serving local communities—and offers lessons for those looking to do so more effectively.

Flagships Prosper, While Regionals Suffer

This article explains how the competition between flagships & regional colleges is more fierce than ever, while the gap between both keeps widening.

Mapping Rural Colleges and Universities

ARRC's researchers utilized its new RSI map to clearly define rural serving institutions from rural located institutions. ARRC's researchers also emphasizes the importance of this distinction.

New Group Looks to Redefine Rural Higher Education Policy

Through ARRC's new Rural Serving Institution (RSI) report, the organization aims to further educate policymakers by clearly defining what it means to be rural-serving, in order to better support these institutions.

How Does Higher Ed Define a Rural-Serving College?

In an effort to further publicize ARRC's newest Regional-Serving Institution report, this article dives into how ARRC is redefining what it means to be rural-serving and further synthesizes ARRC's overall research findings.

Why a Rural-Serving College May Look Different Than You Think

This article explains ARRC's research discoveries when determining the rural-serving institutions of the U.S.

Shining a Light on Rural Colleges

Having recently launched January 31st, 2021, ARRC's Rural-Serving Postsecondary Institutions report focuses on identifying and mapping rural-serving colleges. ARRC aims to use this report as a way to show the importance these institutions have for economic opportunity, educational growth, philanthropic targeted investment, and further research and conversations.

Higher Ed, We’ve Got a Morale Problem — And a Free T-Shirt Won’t Fix It

More higher education employees feel demoralized due to factors including policymakers and college leaders continuing with a normal fall schedule regardless of pandemic concerns, low compensation regardless of work demands, and inadequate staffing.

'Ranking regime': New college rankings are out, but should we trust them?

Factors such as misrepresented data from universities and lack of data regarding diversity, job placement, and student success after college lead experts to believe that the data used to create U.S. News and World Report college ranking list is insufficient to be credible. The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and current students are suggested as being more reliable sources of information.

The Great Disillusionment College workers are burning out just when they'll be needed most.

The Pandemic has allowed many employees in higher education to re-evaluate their work-life balance. The combination of burn out, lack of advancement and feeling overworked and underappreciated by the institution are leading factors into why many professionals are leaving the field.

The Plan Is 'Not Perfect,' But PA's Public-College System Will Turn 6 Campuses Into 2

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is taking a major — but controversial — step meant to stem the system’s fiscal woes, shore up academic offerings at struggling institutions, and work more collaboratively with elected officials. The system’s Board of Governors on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to consolidate six of the 14 universities into two institutions.

Commentary: Proposed Pennsylvania State System Mergers Are a Bad Deal for the State’s Rural Communities

Collapsing Pennsylvania's regional system of higher ed schools into two institutions is supposed to save money without sacrificing jobs or access to education, but the analysis of the proposal seems to indicate otherwise.

Pennsylvania Consolidation Plans Spark Confusion, Criticism

Amid hearings, meetings and press conferences centered on plans by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to consolidate six universities, a new report details potential job losses for the public university system.

OU professor finds gender wage disparities in research as Provost’s Office evaluates equity in salary data

The OU Provost’s Office is assessing salary data to examine faculty pay equity, while one OU professor said she’s found a consistent pay gap between men and women in the same profession at OU through her own analysis. Political science professor Alisa Fryar compiled data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System on the 94 R1 research universities.

‘Ethics and Best Practice’

As the pandemic sapped dormitory projects of their financial reserves, a contractor told the University System of Georgia it had a "win-win" financial proposal, according to newly available documents. The system said no, and soon, the contractor allegedly said it would not be cleaning enough to meet state public health recommendations.

There's more to PASSHE's budget woes than enrollment declines

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education formed nearly four decades ago with a mandate to give Pennsylvania's low- and moderate-income families access to "high quality education at the lowest possible cost." But for years, it has been bedeviled by inhospitable demographics and lackluster state investment that have left it cash-strapped and wanting for students.

Colorado universities and colleges could face more cuts if state doesn’t restore funding, leaders say

Fearful of extensive layoffs and potentially deep cuts to student services, leaders of Colorado’s public colleges and universities are pressing lawmakers to restore $493 million the state chopped off their budgets last year.

Regional Public Universities Don’t Need Rescuing: They’ve been treated shamefully, but they’re more resilient than people give them credit for.

The ARRC team discuss how regional public universities are more resilient than people give them credit for. Regional publics are fighting to overcome exterior factors like failed public policy and crushing inequality

In rural Colorado, one town is looking to its community college to help survive the end of coal

For generations, coal has been a constant in this northwestern Colorado city. But by 2030, the Craig Station stacks will go quiet as Colorado shifts to renewable energy. Coal has fueled not only Colorado’s power needs, but also Craig’s economy. The plant’s closure will idle 600 workers and cost a slew of support jobs. Leaders of Craig, a city about 40 miles west of Steamboat Springs, see a tight window of opportunity to build a new economic base, provide residents replacement jobs, and ensure the city’s survival. This story is the second in a two-part series produced as part of the Higher Education Media Fellowship at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. The Fellowship supports new reporting into issues related to postsecondary career and technical education.

Plans for merging Pennsylvania public universities would allow them to keep their brands

Six universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education that officials intend to combine by fall 2022 would retain their names and identities after the move, according to the latest version of the proposal, although they'd be accredited as two distinct entities. The system has endured major enrollment losses in the last decade or so, and the health crisis has only aggravated its financial predicament.

Report: Rural Public Colleges Are Underfunded

A new report by the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges has found that rural public colleges are underfunded compared to their peers. The report looked at 118 rural public colleges and universities that admit a large portion of applicants, including four schools in the UNC System — Appalachian State University, Elizabeth City State University, Western Carolina University and UNC-Pembroke.

New Research Alliance Spotlights Regional Public Colleges

Regional state institutions are critical to rural community health, education and economies, says a report by a new research alliance focused on the under-examined sector. The alliance plans to publish additional reports and white papers, build accessible data sets, and advocate for regional colleges. The team also hopes that additional research partners and junior scholars will join the alliance and develop an interest in studying regional institutions.

New Study Warns of COVID-19’s Negative Impact on Rural Colleges and Communities

A new study published by the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on underserved rural colleges and surrounding communities could endanger the stability of local economies, health care systems and social mobility for the foreseeable future.

Rural counties would be economically devastated if their public colleges closed: report

Rural public colleges are local job engines, which means their closures would be economically devastating, according to a new report from the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges.

Why a new research group wants to bust regional college myths

In an attempt to undo misconceptions and elevate these colleges' profiles, McClure and several like-minded academics devised the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges. The collaborative seeks to emphasize the importance of these schools, public and private, through academic study. Higher Ed Dive discussed with McClure what the research group hopes to accomplish and some of the myths surrounding regional colleges.

Misperceptions about the regional public

This week Orphan, an assistant professor of higher education at the University of Denver, and some of her colleagues launched the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges. A central goal, she says, is to raise awareness of their roles and to make the narratives about them more complex.

Why UNC's Plan to Reopen Its Flagship Campus Unraveled So Fast

Partisan governance is complicating the system's ability to respond to the pandemic, faculty and outside observers say.

How Covid Threatens the Regional College

The budget cuts now looming in this pandemic economy are poised to have an especially big impact on one group of colleges: public campuses that are regionally oriented. About 40 percent of the nation’s college students attend one of these campuses.

COVID-19 Will Hit Colleges When Students Arrive for Fall Semester. So Why Open at All? Money Is a Factor.

The questions aren’t really about if or when, but about how bad outbreaks could be – and whether having an in-person experience for students is worth the cost. With so much at stake, some students, parents and faculty are asking: Why take the risk at all? In many cases, it comes back to money.

Vacated College Campuses Reveal Broader Challenges for Rural Students

Told to leave campus quickly, rural college students now face longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on their college journeys.

Colorado’s Return to College Campus in the Fall Brings about Concern for Professors, Students

The coronavirus means major changes that are again expected to diminish learning and the college experience for some. And it brings about questions whether a return could put students and faculty at risk of sickness, or worse, death.

The Nightmare That Colleges Face This Fall

University presidents are scrambling for answers on everything from on-campus housing to revenue-generating sports.

Millions of Students Are Returning to US Universities in a Vast Unplanned Pandemic Experiment

Despite COVID-19 infections running rampant in many states, nearly 1,000 academic institutions are welcoming people back to their campuses.