January 30, 2013

What the NFL Can Teach Colleges About Admissions

An enrollment expert imagines a higher education 'league' in which cooperation tempers competition

nfl helmet lineup

Kevin Jones, Flickr

Although the NFL's bone-crunching games epitomize conflict, its business creed is cooperation for the greater good. If colleges cooperated in the same way, they might better serve the public—and curb their drive for institutional glory.

By Eric Hoover

Colleges could reduce "harmful competition" among them by embracing the National Football League's spirit of cooperation, a prominent enrollment expert writes in a new paper published by the Center for American Progress.

By forming a "league" of member institutions that agree to common admission goals and practices, as well as the sharing