January 2026, Vol. 12, No. 1

Editorial Note

Danielle Rintala Julie Olson Rand

As graduate students and professional staff at the University of Minnesota, we reside in the Twin Cities metro area. Our community is still reeling after the death of Renee Nicole Good, and the continuing upheaval in our state and our nation. As higher education professionals, we are faced with showing up to work while simultaneously navigating federal policy, civil unrest, and concern for the safety and well-being of the students, staff, faculty, and visiting scholars at our institutions. Read more.

Five Ways to Tell Higher Education’s Real Story

Laura Harrison

As another new academic year is well underway, it occurs to me how much caricatures of higher education as a worthless, wasteful enterprise confound me. Lambasted as bureaucratic nightmares filled with professors J.D. Vance once labeled “enemies of the people,” one would think faculty like me enter our offices each day with a sense of dread and shame. The truth is that my department is a pretty productive, joyful place. Our interactions do not resemble passive, soulless meetings like those lampooned on The Office. Read more.

The Next Generation of College Presidents are Ready: Why Aren’t They Hired?

Danielle Rintala

Women are earning the majority of PhDs, but are still lagging in higher education leadership, particularly the college presidency (Melidona et al., 2023; National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics [NCSES], 2024). The pipeline appears, at surface value, to be flush with highly qualified women scholars to ascend to the presidency. In 2023, women were awarded more than half of the doctorates in psychology, education, health sciences, other non-science and engineering programs, social sciences, biological/ biomedical sciences, and agricultural sciences/ natural resources (NCSES, 2024). Mathematically, women should constitute the majority of college presidents. Read more.

Reimagining Mentorship for Full-Time PhD Students: A Reflection for Academic and Professional Development for PhD Programs

Ebenezer Agorsor Victor Klenam Apedo

The PhD journey is fraught with hidden curricula, and current mentorship programs are not adequately addressing them. These unwritten norms may range from simple acts such as developing a writing attitude, intentionally cultivating social networks, and simply knowing the procedures and milestones of the PhD process (Ardeljan, 2021). A significant proportion of PhD students go through different phases of experience during their studies. In some cases, this may include, but is not limited to, mental health challenges, including depression, and the general lack of advising support. Read more.

Parenting Doctoral Students: Reflections on Identity, Perseverance, and Support

Livinia Kaunda

One in every five college students in the U.S. is navigating higher education and parenting simultaneously (Yates, 2024). Griffin (2024) confirms this statement and offers a glimpse into the demands that mothering students must navigate, such as managing coursework and assignment deadlines on top of parenting their children. Indeed, while this balancing act remains demanding and often claims one’s sleep and rest (Griffin, 2024), for parents, “receiving a college degree is one of the best investments they can make to improve the financial security, social mobility, and overall well-being of their family” (Kruvelis, 2017, p.1). Read more.

The Students Are Still Not Okay: (Re)focusing Attention on College Mental Health and Wellbeing

Madeline Rowe Michael J. Stebleton

One of the authors (Stebleton) recently facilitated a discussion on college student mental health in an undergraduate honors seminar titled, What Is College For? The debate focused on the roles and responsibilities of leaders at universities and colleges to support the mental health needs of students. One student, Lily, said, “I believe that universities have a responsibility to provide accessible and affordable mental health care. Mental health and wellbeing are part of students’ safety and security, which universities should seek to protect.” Many higher education administrators appear to agree with Lily. Read more.

The Recovering Academics and the Alt-Ac Movement

 Julie Olson Rand 

After a global pandemic and subsequent Great Resignation, many faculty across academia have grappled with the question, is this still what I want to do with my life? It may seem counterintuitive that after what is required to achieve tenure –teaching, publishing, and presenting at conferences–an academic career could possibly end with resignation rather than retirement, yet some faculty have chosen just that. Read more.

The Realities of Adjunct Faculty: Why Investing in Faculty Means Investing in Students

Hannah Young

As a first year college student, my English professor gave me the opportunity to write an OpEd. As part of the assignment, she provided a sample OpEd that she co-wrote for our college newspaper (Holcombe & Gopinath, 2022). In the article, she explained that many instructors, herself included, were not actually considered faculty at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. I was shocked to learn not only of the dismal treatment experienced by adjuncts like herself, but also the fact that most of the faculty at our institution were adjuncts (Holcombe & Gopinath, 2022). My concerns went beyond the issue of job security. Read more.

Making or Breaking The College Experience: The Impact of Faculty Mentorship on Undergraduate Student Experience

Megan McPhee

Today’s undergraduate students are arguably more career-focused than ever before. Approximately 45% of students report that college is a stepping stone for graduate school or their career (Fischman & Gardner, 2022). While previous generations maintained that the purpose of college was to develop a philosophy of life or to find themselves, today’s students are looking for a high return on investment for their education (Harmon, 2016; Soler & Stolzenberg, 2025). In other words, students are pursuing higher education to qualify for well-paying, stable jobs. Read more.