Late last month, NEBHE senior fellow and Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Chair Charles Desmond and I launched a series of interviews with key leaders in New England philanthropy. Our goal was to paint a picture of what philanthropies see as the key issues and challenges facing higher education and how potential funders can have the most meaningful impacts on education in New England.
Our first quests were: George McCully, founder of the Catalogue for Philanthropy; Christine Green, president of the Trefler Foundation; and Meredith Jones, president of the Maine Community Foundation, who joined us by phone. Special thanks to NEBHE Coordinator of Technology and Programs Daren Follweiler, who edited the audio clips.
From left to right: Desmond, Green, McCully, and John O. Harney at NEBHE.
Here are some of the points the panelists made. (Click on each link below to hear an audio transcript.)
George McCully on …
• The higher education and philanthropy paradigm shift
• Higher ed’s business model
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_higher_eds_business_model.mp3
• Higher education as white-collar vocational training
• New England vs. national foundations
• Improving education
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_improving_education.mp3
• Skill development
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_skill_development.mp3
• Liberal arts I
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_liberal_arts.mp3
• Liberal arts II
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_return_to_liberal_arts.mp3
• Faculty and tenure
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_higher_ed_reforms.mp3
• Radical restructuring
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/mccully_on_radical_restructuring.mp3
Christine Green on …
• Re-branding the value of higher ed
green_on_being_a_learned_person.mp3
• Intellectual leadership
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/green_on_intellectual_leadership.mp3• Corporations abandoning higher edhttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/green_on_corporations.mp3• Centers of excellence concept
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/green_on_center_of_excellence_concept.mp3• Years to earn degreehttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/green_on_shortening_degree_programs.mp3• Is there a system?https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/green_on_should_there_be_a_system.mp3• Thinking outside the boxhttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/green_on_outside_the_box_thinking.mp3Meredith Jones on … 
• A Cincinnati model for cooperationhttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/jones_on_a_cincinnati_model_for_cooperation.mp3• Education philanthropy not just about moneyhttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/jones_on_higher_ed_philanthropy_not_just_about_money.mp3Charles Desmond on …
• Changed economic landscapehttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/desmond_on_changed_economy.mp3• Spreading quality
https://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/desmond_on_spreading_quality.mp3• Higher ed tripping over itselfhttps://www.nebhe.org/info/audio/philanthropy_roundtable/desmond_on_higher_ed_tripping_over_itself.mp3
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