Hossler’s Sonneborn lecture, “Why Does College Cost So Much? Some Notes on Institutional Agency,” will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. today in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Whittenberger Auditorium, according to an IU press release. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Hossler, professor emeritus of educational leadership and policy studies in the School of Education, according to the release, will draw on his experience and others’ research to examine how college costs are tied to changes in the higher education workforce and responsibilities.
“If you are a faculty member and you want to have a role in deciding the relative merit of various ways the institution spends money, you’ve got to understand these things,” Hossler said in the release.
Hossler’s research interests, according to a previous IU press release, include student college choice, college persistence, enrollment management and higher education finance from a American perspective, but also from a comparative education perspective.
“Professor Hossler’s research epitomizes the type of scholarship that has tangible effects on educational practice and that illuminates complex issues for the public,” said Terry Mason, interim dean of the School of Education, in the release. “I am very pleased that his fine work is receiving the recognition it deserves.”
Hossler serves as the director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at IU-Bloomington, according to the release. He has previously served as the executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the IU-Bloomington vice chancellor of enrollment services and IU associate vice president of enrollment services.
After the lecture, a reception in the IMU University Club President’s Room will honor Hossler, a recipient of the 2015 Tracy M. Sonneborn Award, according to the release.
The Sonneborn Award honors an IU-Bloomington faculty member for outstanding research and teaching.
The reception, according to the release, will also honor newly appointed provost professors Randall Beer in the Cognitive Science Program, Kari Ellen Gade in the Department of Germanic Studies and Stephanie Sanders in the Department of Gender Studies.
Faculty members designated Provost Professors have achieved local, national and international distinction in research and teaching.
Because state support for higher education is unlikely to increase in the foreseeable future, Hossler suggests universities focus on spending decisions that reflect institutional priorities, he said in the release.
For example, the number of administrative and professional employees at public research universities has grown while the number of faculty members at public research universities has not, according to the release. However, the reasons for this trend are complex and include changes in research, information technology and student services.
Universities are also spending more on student recruiting, admissions, orientation and financial aid to attract and retain the most desirable students, according to the release.
“There are value judgments that have to be made about how universities spend their money because the external funding environment is not likely to change,” Hossler said in the release.
Ashleigh Sherman
