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

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• Higher ed's business model

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•  Higher education as white-collar vocational training

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•  New England vs. national foundations

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• Improving education

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• Skill development

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• Liberal arts I

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• Liberal arts II

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• Faculty and tenure

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• Radical restructuring

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Christine Green on ...

• Re-branding the value of higher ed

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• Intellectual leadership

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• Corporations abandoning higher ed

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• Centers of excellence concept

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• Years to earn degree

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• Is there a system?

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• Thinking outside the box

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Meredith Jones on ...

• A Cincinnati model for cooperation

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• Education philanthropy not just about money

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Charles Desmond on ...

• Changed economic landscape

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• Spreading quality

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• Higher ed tripping over itself

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