Robert M. Zemsky (born 1941) is a Professor of Education, the Chair of the Learning Alliance for Higher Education, and the founding director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

Graduate School of Education. He pioneered the use of prospective student market analyses in higher education.

Education

Zemsky earned a B.A. at

Whittier College Whittier College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic-serving institution, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of spring 2024, had 815 ...

in 1962 and a Ph.D. in History at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 1966; His dissertation advisor was Edmund S. Morgan. He published a study of Massachusetts colonial politics, and taught in the American studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania.

Honors

He received two honorary degrees: a Doctor of Humane Letters (Honorary) from

Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its foundin ...

(1998) and a Doctor of Humane Letters (Honorary) from

Franklin and Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1787 as Franklin College and later merged with Marshall College in 1853, it is one of the oldest colleges in the United St ...

(2008). Zemsky was named one of higher education's top 40 leaders by
Change
' magazine in 1998. He is a former

Woodrow Wilson Fellow The Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly known as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation) is a nonpartisan, non-profit institution based in Princeton, New Jersey that says it aims to strengthen American democracy by "cultivating ...

, and in 2005 he was a member of Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' Commission on the Future of Higher Education. He has also served as the co-director of the National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce, as a senior scholar with the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, as chair and convener of the Pew Higher Education Roundtable, as senior editor for ''Policy Perspectives'', and as a founding member of the National Advisory Board for the

National Survey of Student Engagement The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced: nessie) is a survey mechanism used to measure the level of student participation at University, universities and colleges in Canada and the United States as it relates to learning and enga ...

(NSSE). Zemsky served on the Board of Trustees of

for 25 years and now serves on the board of

Research

Zemsky's research focuses on assisting institutions of higher education in balancing a commitment to their mission with market success, and he pioneered the use of market analyses in higher education. He is perhaps most famous for his reform efforts that encourage colleges and universities to move to a three-year bachelor's degree program, though he is often cited as a strong voice on college reform, addressing issues such as college cost and quality.

Consultant

Internationally, Zemsky has worked as a consultant and leader on the formation of national goals and education policies for organizations and governments in Japan, Hungary, Zimbabwe, Egypt,

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and Bahrain.

Publications

Zemsky is the author of several books, including ''The Structure of College Choice'' (1982), ''Structure and Coherence, Measuring the Undergraduate Curriculum'' (1989), ''Higher Education as Competitive Enterprise: When Markets Matter'' (2001), ''Thwarted Innovation: What Happened to e-learning and Why'' with William Massy (2004), and ''Remaking the American University: Market Smart and Mission Centered'' with Gregory Wegner and William Massy (2005). In his most recent book, ''Making Reform Work: The Case for Transforming American Higher Education'' (2009), Zemsky presents solutions for the future of higher education, arguing that faculty leadership and strategy are necessary to improve higher education. He suggests efforts should boost student performance in high school, focus on the science of active learning, push Congress to rethink financial aid, and update the rules governing university endowments.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zemsky, Robert Living people 1941 births Whittier College alumni Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni University of Pennsylvania faculty