Ferris State University President Bill Pink
Ferris State University President Bill Pink will join a diverse group of higher education leaders at the Carnegie Classifications Institutional Roundtable, hosted by the American Council on Education, in early November. The group’s charge is to focus on the incentive structures in the classification system and examine how the current Basic Classification has impacted campus decision-making.
Pink will collaborate with presidents and chancellors from institutions such as the University of Minnesota, City University of New York, Georgetown University, Brigham Young University, American University and Southern New Hampshire University, among others. The published announcement noted, “They will also explore how a new social and economic mobility classification might be formulated to better capture the range of diverse missions in higher education and support constructive use of the Carnegie classifications to better promote institutional learning and advance economic mobility.”
“I am honored to be selected to participate in this prestigious roundtable discussion that will have a major impact, moving forward, regarding the evaluation of higher education institutions and putting in place standards that respect the broad diversity that exists in colleges and universities across our nation,” Pink said. “There’s great and consequential work ahead, but I am eager to work with these great leaders who are passionate about higher education and the work we do to make a difference for our students who will make a difference across the country.”
In addition to the Carnegie Classifications Institutional Roundtable, ACE has also convened a Carnegie Classifications Technical Review Panel, which will include leading data experts from colleges, universities and research organizations. This group, which started meeting in August, examines methodology that will be the foundation for new classifications versions to help ensure they best reflect the “public purpose, mission, focus and impact of higher education.”
“I am grateful for the work that ACE leadership is doing to bring together people who believe in the broad mission and work that is taking place in higher education,” Pink said.
In February 2022, ACE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching officially cemented their partnership on an updated version of the Carnegie classifications. The new framework for classification is expected to be released in late 2023.
“We could not be more excited to join forces with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to open a new chapter in the evolution of higher education’s gold standard institutional classification system,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. “Together, we are eager to work with the field to create a broad suite of classifications that will paint a more three-dimensional and nuanced picture of institutional achievement.”
Carnegie Senior Vice President Paul LeMahieu echoed that enthusiasm and spirit of inclusive collaboration.
“We wanted a partner that shares our vision for a contemporary form of the Classifications that can better and more effectively serve higher education,” LeMahieu said. “We also wanted a partner with the credibility and respect of the field, as well as the capacity to lead an initiative as complex as this one. We are excited to have found all this in ACE and its leadership and staff.”