The Forum on the Future of Public Education

This April, AERA will release Volatility in State Spending for Higher Education, a pioneering book led by volume editor Jennifer Delaney, associate professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Emanating from an AERA research conference, this volume frames new issues and breaks new ground.

The severity of cuts and the unpredictability in state funding for higher education have garnered headlines across the nation since the turn of the present century. In this context, the authors in this volume argue that too little attention is paid to the consequences of volatility in funding, as most discussions focus on levels of funding.

Their research addresses an important blind spot in the academic literature since predictability matters—to institutions, students, families, and states. In addition, the risks of operating in an uncertain financial environment have led to behaviors that are not always in the best interests of states, institutions, faculty, students, or the public good.

Under Delaney’s leadership and with expert authors who had convened at the AERA research conference, this book provides new knowledge that improves the research base and situates volatility as a key element in better understanding state support for higher education and its consequences.

The book will be released in Chicago at the AERA Annual Meeting and will be on sale at the AERA Exhibit Booth (free domestic shipping) and during the Annual Meeting's virtual component (May 4 - 5, 2023).

View the full table of contents of this 11-chapter book and a link to pre-order it at a discounted rate ...