New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE)

From 1988-2016, The New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) operated within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. It was closely associated with the doctoral program in Higher Education in the Department of Leadership in Education.

Mission

The New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) is committed to collaborative change processes in higher education to address social justice in a diverse democracy.

As a center for inquiry, research, and policy, NERCHE supports administrators, faculty, and staff across the region in becoming more effective practitioners and leaders as they navigate the complexities of institutional innovation and change.

NERCHE focuses on higher education institutions as complex workplaces . We provide resources for practitioners who are exploring innovative ways to shape higher education and create opportunities for learning and applying their collective knowledge and experience. NERCHE’s research projects, programs, and activities draw upon the practitioner perspective to improve practice and to inform and influence policy, moving from the local to regional and national levels.

Our work is informed by a grassroots approach to developing collaborative leadership, oriented to building diverse and inclusive communities. Committed to higher education’s responsibility to the public realm, we value the principle of equal respect for the wisdom and experience of everyone involved in discovering new knowledge, improving practice, and providing leadership for institutional change. NERCHE strives for the widest possible inclusion of diverse voices—from underrepresented individuals, across role and position, and across institutional types—to foster authentic learning.

Directors:

• 2014-2016: John Saltmarsh
• 2012-2014: John Saltmarsh and Glenn Gabbard
• 2005-2012: John Saltmarsh
• 2003-2005: Dwight Giles (Interim)
• 1998-2003: Deborah Hirsch
• 1988-1998: Zelda Gamson