Higher education’s ability to provide quality, affordable credentials to the nation’s populace is key to national competitiveness and economic opportunity. College and university leaders and policymakers require research at the intersection of public policy and institutional strategy to responsibly enact innovative practices in higher education and meet the nation’s education attainment goals.
The mission of the Center for Policy Research and Strategy (CPRS) is to provide research and thought leadership to effectively aid college leaders and public policymakers in finding common ground with regard to existing and emergent best practices in institutional strategy and policy formation.
CPRS structures its work through a Framework for Postsecondary Change, which has been adapted from the innovation theory literature of Clayton Christensen and others. The Framework posits that higher education reform and best practice scaling occurs through the interplay of institutional models, technology use, education partner networks, and the public policy and standards environment.
This framework serves as the basis for idea generation and research designs that utilize and respond to existing data and data needs. CPRS’ research informs federal, state, and institutional policy and practice. Topics include financial aid and affordability, technology-enabled learning, P-16 connections, institutional diversity, and higher education access and completion by both traditional and post-traditional learners, such as underrepresented minority groups, veterans, and adult students.
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