Schuh: Higher education is 'high stakes game'

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Attending college is a "high stakes game for students," said John Schuh, a distinguished professor of higher education at Iowa State University who was recently honored with the premier award for scholars who study colleges and universities. "There is a lot riding on this," said Schuh, about policies that help or hinder students' chances of going to college and succeeding there.

 

Graduating from college changes a person's life - and the lives of their family members - in a profound way, said John Schuh, a national expert on college experiences for students and accountability of colleges and universities.

 

College graduates make a tremendous collective difference to communities and the larger society - as leaders and volunteers - because of their stations in life, said Schuh.  "College graduates are more likely than others to volunteer in their communities and schools, be involved in the political process, and support the fine arts than those who have not had the advantages of a college education," he said.

 

Nobody is better qualified than Schuh to comment on higher education or its role in improving the human condition. Perhaps that's why members of the Association for the Study of Higher Education recently honored him with the organization's Research Achievement Award.

 

Awarded annually by ASHE for published research that has substantially advanced understanding of higher education, the honor is reserved for the profession's elite.

 

"John Schuh has received the most prestigious higher education research award in the nation," said Laura Rendón, professor and chair of educational leadership and policy studies at Iowa State and a past president of ASHE. "Dr. Schuh's record of scholarly achievement has few peers."

 

Lee Upcraft, assistant vice president emeritus of student affairs at Pennsylvania State University, has co-written two books with Schuh. Upcraft credits Schuh with generously sharing his superb intellect and knowledge with other scholars.

 

"One cannot help but be impressed by the breadth and depth of John Schuh's scholarly and research contributions nationally and internationally to the fields of student affairs and higher education," said Upcraft. "His ability to translate theory and research to practical use by institutional and national policy makers and practitioners has had a profound impact on all of us in higher education."

 

Schuh's colleagues marvel at his pairing of brilliance with modesty.

 

"[He] has a wonderfully analytical mind which is manifested in clear and useful speaking and writing," said James Rhatigan, retired dean of students and senior vice president for student affairs at Wichita State University who worked with Schuh for 10 years. "John's work is underpinned by a refreshing and endearing humility that sets him apart.  I cannot think of anyone more respected."

 

Despite the accolades laden on Schuh by his peers, he remains humble.

 

"John's humility, integrity, and caring nature are remarkable," said Kevin Saunders, who earned a doctorate under Schuh's tutelage and now coordinates programs in provost's office at Iowa State.

 

Schuh credits his grandparents for enabling his family's success by encouraging his parents to become college graduates.

 

"My grandparents were not highly educated, but they each decided that my parents should go to college and so my parents did" said Schuh. "As a result, my parents lived a different kind of life than their siblings."

 

His gratitude for his own education is reflected in his teaching.

 

"If you ask his students, they will share that John is an incredibly gifted teacher," said Saunders, a former student.

 

An authority on assessment of universities, Schuh counsels those working in higher education not to forget why their schools exist.

 

"We need to remember that we are not running these institutions for ourselves, but rather for our constituents - the way other institutions did for us," said Schuh. Recalling that shortly after receiving his Ph.D., he had a conversation with his major professor, Harry Newburn, who had held five presidencies in his administrative career.

 

"I asked him, 'How can I thank you for helping me with this?'"

 

"He said, 'You can't.'"

 

"I must have looked dumbstruck," recalled Schuh, "so he continued, 'Every time you work with students, helping them move forward, you are thanking me.'"

 

"And every time I work with a student I remember that, and promise to remember what his generation did for me - and what we owe the next generation," said Schuh.