AKA Review– December 10, 2021

From WIRED:

What Will Work Look Like in 2022? (Hint: Not the Metaverse)
By Nicole Kobie
The pandemic and subsequent reliance on developing technologies to support remote working is only the beginning of the shift in the labor market. While the metaverse– a 3d virtual reality–is unlikely to play a large role in the near future, hybrid working and asynchronous collaboration will become the norm. More workers are also prioritizing themselves over their work, so smart managers will understand that enabling a healthy work-life balance is the key to keeping their employees happy and in their jobs. Read this article

From Harvard Business Review:
How Higher Ed Can Prepare Students for Today’s Digital Jobs
By Ryan Craig
The pandemic has become an "automation-forcing event," pushing businesses to fully embrace new technologies and remote businesses, but students have not been educated about these new ways of working. Colleges and universities should provide students with digital platform skills and essential relevant work experience. Some schools are adopting more internship programs and work-integrated learning opportunities while others use a "hire-train-deploy" model. Read this article

From The New Yorker:

The Pointless End of Legacy Admissions
By Matt Feeney
While many institutions have elected to drop the historical priority given to legacy students, these decisions are still made with the best interests of the institution in mind. Ending legacy admissions will undoubtedly lead to increased applications and thus lower acceptance rates. As virtuous and equitable as it sounds, choosing to end legacy admissions would not have been made if it weren't strategic. Read this article

From The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Did the U.S. News College Rankings Cost My School Millions in Philanthropic Dollars?
By Walter Kimbrough
The President of Dillard University, a historically Black college, observes that the US News College Rankings favor wealthier institutions over lower ranked schools, many of which have a higher number of Pell, non-traditional, and first generation students. Because of this bias, less wealthy institutions are compromised since major donors tend to support high ranked universities. It is important that donors better understand the algorithms that drive the rankings. Read this article

From Trusteeship Magazine:

A Lost Opportunity in Academic Searches

By James D. Herbert
The academic search process—especially for a university president—offers an unusual opportunity to understand the institution through the eyes of highly accomplished leaders. The stream of finalists is like a parade of highly qualified consultants offering their impressions of strategic challenges and opportunities and recommending what to do about them. It would be wise to compile and preserve this input so that the collective anonymized observations of finalists are available to the person who ends up earning the position. Read this article