Visionary Leadership

Book excerpt: What will higher education look like in 20 years? Will a bachelor's degree still be viable-or even valuable? How will we assess learning? Will it be competency based? Determined by the sum experience of individual achievement? Or measured by student peers? How will learning be delivered? In the classroom? Over the internet? Or through mobile devices untethered by time and place? And by whom? By professors dedicated to their disciplines, by volunteers driven by a passion to share, or by new kinds of learning communities, as yet unimagined? This much is certain: education is changing. But today, the higher education community is struggling with serious challenges: budget dollars are tighter than ever; our capacity to admit students who want an education has diminished sharply; and in the U.S., our standing as the premier global provider of advanced education is slipping. Imagining a new future for higher education will require vision-a creative capacity to see what might be possible for tomorrow's learners-and resolve-the ability to assess risk, forge new kinds of partnerships, and move confidently toward goals, even under difficult circumstances. SunGard Higher Education worked closely with Dr. Ihlenfeldt over the years as he worked tirelessly to shape a new future for Chippewa Valley Technical College. Today CVTC boasts a nationally recognized faculty, state-of-the art facilities and equipment, online and blended classrooms, and partnerships with area businesses that help to sustain a community. Visionary leadership informed by careful analysis can make a tremendous difference in people's lives. These are skills Bill shares with all of us in his book, Visionary Leadership. Its publication couldn't be timelier and SunGard Higher Education is proud to sponsor its publication.